The Hunter
by FezzesRCool
Summary: "Hey Uncle Gil." I mumble. "You're looking well." I say. He nods. Set in and after Fannysmackin'. Grissom's neice arrives in Vegas and she running from something. Rated T because there is often bad language. Eventual Greg/OC. Emphasis on eventual.
1. Prologue

I had been driving for around twelve hours. Driving from San Francisco to Vegas had taken me around three days, one without breaks and I was now almost there. The bright lights of the casino signs were now gone and I was facing the darkness of the real side of Vegas. The dark streets, the silence, the real people. This way why I was here, well and the fact that my six months rotation was almost over, and therefore, it was sayonara Cisco, aloha Vegas.

My third, or fourth visit to the city was so far uneventful and I felt empty as I pulled up to the same gas station I had been at around five years ago. I felt so disappointed to see that the same acne-ridden was sat behind the cashier in the early hours of the morning as he had been half a decade ago. Half a decade. I was a lot younger then, a lot younger. My phone buzzed in my pocket and I pulled it out as I slide the cash across the bench.

"Hey, you've reached the voicemail of Jamey/Laura/Naomi Grissom, leave a message after the tone."

"Very funny Grissom. Where the fuck are you? Johnson's got me on at least five cases because you've pissed off." Ollie does not sound happy.

"Sorry, you know how it is." I said as I picked up my luke-warm coffee and change. I smiled at the youth. There was a sense that this wouldn't be our last meeting.

"Oh shit! Grissom, how could you fucking do that to me?" Ollie screeched down the phone, I pulled it quickly away from my ear and tried to simultaneously not spill my coffee. "You skipped town again, you bitch!" He yelled.

"Sorry honey, but, six months was up." I smiled. "Ollie, gotta go. Call you back. Bye."

"No don't fucking dar-

As much as I loved Ollie, he was a potty mouth.

I started driving again, there was a hotel on the other side of town, that took a short cut through some pretty dodgy alleys. I faced towards them unsure.

"Grow up Grissom." I hissed, but still child locked all of the windows. I drove down cautiously, not too slow, not too fast. Just as I was ready to calm down and put the pepper spray back into the glove box, a red truck pulled out from an alley. I braked hard, coffee going everywhere, all over my jeans. I hit my head, and looked up just in time to see the red truck careering haphazardly down the alley. I checked all the vitals, all limbs functioning, but head bleeding. I pulled down the mirror and sighed in disgust, I was going to need stitches. I hated having stitches. I looked out of the window into the street where the truck had come from. There was another car down there, Hummer, and next to it, three bodies.

And that was the beginning of the nightmare.


	2. Chapter 1

I have never managed to stay in one place at a time. If I could have a super power, it would be to be able to multiple myself out so I could be in different places at the same time, and my name would be something along the lines of mitosis girl. Since the age of twenty-one when I got out of college, I have spent around six months in a city at a time. I am now twenty-nine, so, in total, I have moved over ten times, and mostly to different cities. But I always find there's something about the west coast.

Every time I move, I change something about myself. When I first moved to Vegas, I had a tattoo of a tiny scorpion put on the left of my right hand, the second time in Vegas, I dyed my hair peroxide blonde and cut it ridiculously short and the third, I threw my ex-boyfriend's bomber jacket into the desert as I drove through and now? Now, I wished I was anywhere but Vegas, anywhere but the top of this alley staring at the three bodies.

How many were dead? Was this a trick, if I get out of the car do I get murdered, raped, worse? I pull out my phone and dial the classic number.

"Hello this is 911, how can I help?" The caramel tones of the nice lady sat high and dry in the police station on the other side of town does nothing to soothe me.

"Yeah, police and ambulance, I'm on 23rd Street, there's these three guys, just lying on the street."

"Ma'am, where are you?" The woman asks, sounding slightly less bored and more concerned.

"I'm in my car." I mumble, now I am terrified. "23rd."

"Right, you stay there, we'll get crews to you soon, don't set foot outside of your vehicle okay?" She asks. You nod and then mutter some words of agreement.

"Thank you ma'am, they'll get to you in a few minutes." The phone goes dead, and suddenly I feel alone, and scared. The men lying on the street could be anyone, but they could be in trouble. I reach for the glovebox, not taking my eyes off of them and pull out my pepper spray and a torch. I shine it down the alley, and it alights of the first man. It's impossible to see anything but the blood covering his face, matted in his hair. The blood from his mouth has crawled up his face, he looks like the joker from Batman, but you don't think the joker was ever that hurt. She said to stay in the car, that random woman mile away, which hasn't seen this guy's face. The other two could be in even worse shape. The cop within me takes shape, and soon I am out of the car.

And suddenly I am a hawk, super vigilant for anything around me, for anyone near. All seems clear. I stand at the top of the alley.

"Hey, excuse me, sir?" I call. My voice is fake, thin and brittle. I am so vulnerable and small, and I feel pathetic. No response, I remember Ollie laughing at me when I could open the jar of pickles when we were watching the Lakers game.

"_Man up Grissom. You're such a woman!"_ I take comfort in his bravery and inch down the alley until I reach the Joker. I tighten my grip on the pepper spray and kneel next to him on the floor.

"Hello?" I ask. Again, my words come out in a child's voice. I breathed in and out and waved my hand in front of the guys face. He didn't move, maybe he was genuinely out.

"Hello?" I say, my voice now stronger, as loud as I dare.

"Yeah?" I jump out of my skin. The pathetic sound came from the guy on the floor. I sat next to him now.

"My name's Naomi." I mumble, "what's yours?" I ask.

"Greg." I can barely hear him.

"I've called the police Greg, they're on their way." I say. He lets out what sounds like a snort of laughter. "What?" I ask.

"I am the police." He utters, and then you see it, under the blood, there's a police vest, Sanders, LVPD. I smile slightly.

"Greg, I'm gonna go look at the other guys okay?"

"Yeah." He looks less scary than he did earlier. I stand up and walk towards the second guy, a teenager, he's out and lying at a weird angle. I leave him, he could have a broken neck and I could do more harm than good. I go to the next guy. He looks almost as bad as Greg, but he's out. I put him in the recovery position and go back to Greg.

"Me again." I say finding one of his hands. I squeeze it, and he squeezes back, weak and pathetic. I might end up losing him, and then it would be just me on the street, alone. The selfish human in me takes over.

"Greg, can you feel all of your limbs?" I ask.

"Yeah, kinda wish I couldn't though."He answers. I smile.

"What happened?" I ask, it's time like this the real cop in me takes over.

"Gang, beating up the old guy. I tried to stop them, hit the teenager with my car, got beaten up, they came back." His words offer fear, 'came back' what will stop them doing it again. I tighten my grip on the pepper spray.

"It's okay, the cops will be here any-

"HANDS IN THE AIR!" I turn, lights blind me and there are multiple guns being pointed in my face. Not the first time, so I don't freak out as much. I let go of Greg's hand and the pepper spray and stand, hands lightly touching the back of my hair. I don't shout or argue as I'm thrown into the ground, and I don't fight when they cuff me. Right now, shouting at them will just make something bad happen, they have a man down, they're angry and under the impression I have something to do with it. I lie there as they talk around me.

"We got her, woman, early thirties."

_Early Thirties! I am twenty-nine!_

"Wait, wait! Radio says it was a gang, Sanders called it in, she called the police to the alley, she didn't do anything." As I'm pulled off the ground, I am offered so many apologies, but I just take it in my stride.

"Ma'am I'm patrol officer Kennedy. I'm so sorry for what happened; can you come to my vehicle for a moment?" The nice young man who just threw me to the floor guides me to the patrol car, one hand on my shoulders. He sits me down and supplies me with a blanket and a bottle of water.

"I'm going to take a basic statement here, and then another formal one at the station, but we need to get your head looked at." For a moment there, you'd forgotten the truck. You nod, you know the procedure. "Okay wha-

"I got it Kennedy." A blonde woman walks towards you and holds out her hand.

"Detective Sofia Curtis, you're the woman who called the cops?" She says coolly. You nod. "Right, so I'm going to-

"I know the routine, not the first contact with the cops I've ever had." I say she raises and eyebrow. "Private Investigator." I add, trying not to sound so sassy.

"Right, what's your name?" She asks. I sigh. This name is not a useful one to have in this city.

"Naomi, Naomi Grissom." I say sulkily. This was not how I planned my visit to Vegas, a casino maybe, a bar, but not an alley with three unconscious men and a load of police cars and blood.

"Grissom?" She asks raising an eyebrow. I nod.

"Yeah, Naomi Grissom." I say again, this is starting to get boring.

"Right, excuse me for a moment?" She asks turning on her heels and walking away from you. You wonder what's going to happen. She's a cop, maybe she knows Gil. I shake the thought from my head, of course she doesn't. Vegas is a big city, there is no way that the people I have met tonight know my uncle Gil, there is no way in hell. She comes back.

"Ma'am we're going to keep you here for a while, it's just we have others to deal with." She gestures towards Greg and the others and you nod.

"Yeah, of course." I nod with a sinking feeling resting inside me. I haven't slept in around thirteen hours now, and I feel like shit. I get ushered into the back of a police car and think about trying to sleep. I lay my head back on the seat and close my eyes, blocking out the noise from the alley and then there's a tap at the window. I open my eyes and shoot daggers at the Paramedic who is now sat outside the window. I open the door.

"Sorry to disturb you ma'am, but we need to take a look at that head." She gestures at the gash in my head. I nod and lean towards her so she can look.

"Wait a minute. What about them?" I ask, pointing to the men lying in the alley.

"Ma'am people will be working on them in a few moments, we just want to get you out of the way." She says. For a minute, she almost convinces me, but then my common sense takes hold.

"No, I'm minimally damaged, they on the other hand," I say pointing towards the alley, "are in bad shape, surely you should treat the people who need it most, and leave those who aren't as badly hurt." I say. I'm pissed off now. I'm grumpy when I haven't slept and now this woman is trying to be nice I am feeling even more pissed.

"Ma'am, I really thi-

"No! I don't need help, they do!" I'm shouting now. And everyone is looking at me. Crap. That was not the desired effect. Now I should stop, I should close my mouth and let her treat me, but my brain is so frazzled I can't help it. "I'm not hurt!"

"Naomi, let the lady take a look at you." I look up, and there is someone I really didn't expect to see. In the early morning light he looks so different. Older, but so similar. I expected different, someone who was nothing like the Uncle Gil I'd known since I was a very small kid. That ridiculous beard he had had when I'd last seen him was gone. His eyes were still that solemn blue, the eyes that I shared, the infamous Grissom eyes, and his hair was grey and curly. I fought the urge to smile. In truth, I missed Uncle Gil; I missed living in the same house as him, the quiet that fell around him, the walls of books, and the bugs. But I had ran from it, straight out of college, aged twenty-one, I had ran and now my worst fear had been confirmed. Whatever it is in your life that you run from, it will always find you, no matter how far or fast you run, no matter where you hide, it will catch up with you eventually.

"Hey Uncle Gil." I mumble. "You're looking well." I say. He nods.

"Naomi, let this woman look after you, they're gonna work their way up." He says. I nod and let her clean the wound and stick something over it.

"You're going to need stitches when you get to the hospital." She says, it's supposed to be directed at me, but she's looking at Uncle Gil. It took me back to my seventh year on Earth. I'd been riding my bike down a hill and had skidded to avoid a massive spider on the road. Uncle Gil had taken me to the emergency room and while I'd been sat there with blood all over me, he'd congratulated me for the first of three times for not killing the spider.

"I'll take her in, thank you." He smiles at the woman as she walks away and when he turns back to me he raises his eyebrow.

"What?" I ask defensively pulling at the blanket that was put over my shoulders when they realised I hadn't beaten up three able bodied men.

"It's just such a you thing to do." He says, "I haven't seen you in eight years, and when I do you need to go to the emergency room. "I'll take you." I take off the blanket and lay it down on the seat of the police car and thank the patrol officer who was stood next to the door so I didn't run off.

We're walking towards the car when a woman shouts my name.

"Grissom?" I turn, and so does Uncle Gil, and then I realised that this slim brunette with gappy teeth is someone I have never met before.

"Sara." My Uncle replies.

"What's going on?" She asks. She's trying to be polite, but I know she's talking about me.

"I gotta take her to the emergency room," he walks closer to her and mutters something. I lean against the hummer and watch as her eyes widen. He's dropped the neice bomb. Great. He turns and walks away from her. I get into the front seat of the hummer and he starts driving, and that's when I realise how hungry I am.


	3. Chapter 2

The silence is awkward. I'm sat there devouring a cheeseburger and fries while he just drives along the road calmly on the way to the hospital.

"So, what happened?" He asks. I turn to look at him, but he's staring straight ahead.

"Driving down road, car came out, I braked, hit my head, saw guys in the alley, called police, went into alley, police arrived." I say. He nods.

"Your statement will need to be more than that." He says. I smile and nod.

"Do I have to give that soon?" I ask. He smirks.

"Later. I get Brass to do it." I nod and wince as the early morning sun hits my eyes. I search for sun glasses, and then remember that mine are in my car. Which is in the alley. I pull down the visor thing in front of my eyes, and something falls out and hits me in the lap. A tiny piece of paper. I turn it over in my hands. A picture. Of me, my graduation.

I remember this picture well, Uncle Gil turned up really late, work he had said. I hadn't expected him to come, so it didn't really matter to me. I was stood talking to him, when one of the teachers came around and snapped the picture without asking, I remember when I first saw it, I was laughing at something and Uncle Gil was smiling. It looked like the perfect little family I'd had up until the age of sixteen. I smile and feel tears welling up in my eyes. I blink them away angrily. No. I am the ice queen. Nothing will melt the impenetrable fort that is my heart.

I hide the picture back in the visor without him noticing just as we get into the car park.

I'm sat on a hospital bed, while a doctor stitches up my head. I look over at Uncle Gil who's stood in the corner. He doesn't want to be here. He wants to be there for his team. It stings to know that but it's fair enough. He sees them every day, the last time we saw each other every day was eight years ago. They are his family. _Meaning I have none._ I shake the thought from my head.

"You can go. They need you." I mumble. He looks up.

"No, you've got a cu-

"It's a cut, not the first stitches." I say, "I'm old enough to sit here alone while this guy stitches my head."

"Right, well your car's downstairs, one of the patrol officers drove it over." He hands me the tag for the car park and my keys. I smile.

"Thanks." I watch him walk away and feel slightly sad, I might've skipped town before he can come back.

"Naomi." He spins and walks back.

"When this case is over, we'll catch up, the usual." He says. I nod.

"Right."

"No skipping town on me." He orders. I smile, he knows me too damn well.

"Okay, call me." He nods and leaves.

"Right, you're all done." The doctor smiles and I slip off the bed. "You've had stitches before, so usual routine." I nod. "Back in a few days to get them taken out." He smiles.

"Thanks." I turn to leave and then remember something very important. "Sorry, where's the nearest motel?" I ask.

"Um, just down the road, turn left and then you get to it." He says.

"Thank you." I walk out of the room and the hospital on a mission.

In my hotel room at the _Presley Motel_, possibly the worst name ever for a motel, I shower, scrubbing the feel of the sleep from my skin and then change into the most presentable clothes I own. Dark skinny jeans, a cream shirt and my nicest jacket. I put make up on for the first time in weeks. Just so I look like a business woman. I tie my hair into a bun, its dark brown, the original colour, the Grissom colour. I'll have to fix it soon. I look in the mirror; I guess I could pass as an office type. I straighten my posture and brush my teeth before I leave. I pull an expensive looking purse out of my bag and put all of my money into it. A hundred a fifty dollars. That is all I have. Pathetic. I shove my phone into my pocket and walk out of the room locking it behind me. On the way back to the hospital I try the sob story eyes, and when I get the hospital I know I look genuinely upset. I walk up the reception desk where a nice old lady is sat. I sniff when I'm stood in front of her.

"Can I help you sweetie?" She asks. "Oh what's wrong?" She looks concerned. I kind of hate myself for deceiving her.

"Well, my brother's been admitted. I got a phone call from the police, I was at work and, and..." I start weeping and she looks at me really sadly. She takes me over to a chair and sits down next to me trying to comfort me. Now I feel like a bitch. But I carry on.

"We moved to Vegas three years ago, he's my little brother and before we left, Mom told me, she told me to look after him. I'll never forgive myself. The elaborate web of lies is getting more and more skilled as I sit there weeping my guts out.

"What's your name sweetheart?" She asks. Shit. I've forgotten his fucking surname. Something about sand? Sandman, Sandals? Sanders!

"Lee, Lee Sanders." I whimper. They are always nicer to you if you whimper.

"Right, he's on the emergency ward, room seven, floor six." She says looking up from her computer.

"Oh thank you. Thank you so much." I hug her and get up and walk to the elevator. I keep up the whimpering and pathetic voice until I'm alone in the elevator and the doors have closed. I pull out my mirror and wipe away the tears, by the time I am on floor six, I look like I've been crying, but I don't look too upset. I walk along the hall stopping at room six. He's lying there is the bed with a face like hell. What if he can see? He couldn't see me last time; this will just be weird if he can see me. I think about going in, but I'm frozen in the centre of the corridor.

"Ma'am are you okay?" I spin and end up facing a really nice looking nurse, she's pretty and seems as concerned as the other lady. And here is where the web gets out of control.

"Yeah, I've come to visit my brother." I utter, I force myself to concentrate.

"Oh, what's his name?" She asks.

"Greg Sanders." I'm staring at him through the door.

"Oh right this way then," She starts to walk quickly towards the door, but I stop her, pulling at her arm. She looks at me quizzically and then stops realising what is wrong. "Never seen him like this before?" She asks. I nod, but that's a lie, the only other time I have seen him he was worse. "It's alright; he's starting to see again." I pause.

"I can't, I can't face him on my own." I mumble. "I'm supposed to watch him, that's what Mom said." I explain. She smiles.

"You the oldest?" She asks. I nod. "Same, my little brothers all live in Vegas too. All five of them." I smile. "They call all the God-damn time, but I always make sure I'm there for them. It's good your here. Many wouldn't bother."

"I'll just stay here for a while, I'll go in later." I smile at her sadly. "Thank you."

"Anytime." She walks off down the hall. I sit in a chair on the edge of the corridor. I lean my head against the wall, I am so tired. Suddenly I feel like an intruder. This has nothing to do with me. I am not involved. Greg isn't my friend. Ollie is my friend. Greg is a random guy I have walked into. I get up and start to walk towards the door when I see the coffee machine, I'll one and leave. As I'm stood there ordering a latte there's a cough from behind me. I turn and he's stood there with a disapproving look.

"I knew when the woman said Greg's sister was here something was wrong." He says. I hand him the latte and get another one.

"Yeah, I put the crying on." I take a sip of the latte and sink into one of the comfy chairs they have for visitors. "Look, I know you're not allowed to discuss what happens and what you know, but I can help. I have sources in Vegas, I can ask around."

He raises his eyebrow.

"I thought this was the first time in Vegas." He says, oh God, now I have to tell him.

"Um... third." I mutter, "First three were girly weekends, kinda." I mutter and drink the coffee again. That's a lie. The first was indeed a Girlfriend thing, the second I worked on a case for four weeks and the third, I'd sat in a bar getting pissed over the break up with my boyfriend.

"What kind of sources?" He asks. I pause, how I can tell him that my most established Vegas source is Simone.

"Works at a casino." I answer, maybe too quickly. He nods.

"Well, if you could give her a call, she might know something. I nod and pull out my phone as he walks down the hall to Greg.

"Yeah?" She asks in the aggressive voice when she finally picks up.

"Hey, Mone, it's Naomi." I say. She laughs.

"Well I never, your back in Vegas, that's a surprise." She laughs. "How's business?" She asks. I laugh hollowly.

"Well the fact I called you clearly shows the state of things." I say sarcastically. "How's business?" I ask.

"Honey, a city like this, business is fine. Vegas is still Vegas." I smile.

"Good, look I need your help. Two guys got beaten up by this gang, Halloween costumes, youngish. Heard anything?" I ask.

"Hmm, not heard nothing, I'll ask around." She says.

"Thank you Mone, don't get yourself into trouble on my account though." I say.

"Me get into trouble?" She asks laughing. I get up and walk down the hall towards the room with my Uncle and Greg, my heels clicking on the floor.

"Wearing heels Naomi? Maybe we'll make a lady of you yet." She laughs again and I smile.

"Hey, I am a very attractive young woman." I laugh and she snorts down the phone. "Thanks Mone."

"Anytime honey." I hang up and walk into the room at possibly the most awkward time, Greg looks like he's crying. I bite my lip, poor guy. Uncle Gil turns to me.

"My sources are on it." I say. Greg looks up at my voice. "Hey Greg, how're you doing?" I ask.

"Naomi?" He asks. I smile. He looks so helpless.

"Yup, came down to see if you still look like the Joker from Batman." I run my hand through my hair. "And you look better." He laughs sarcastically, a short, breathless laugh.

"Look, I need to go back to the lab and sort things out. I don't know what you're going to do, but you should work it out fast before they start asking questions." My uncle says pointing at the nurses wandering around.

"Right, I think I'll probably leave then." I say.

"No! You can stay!" Greg says. I feel awful for him, his little sad voice. "Especially if my Mom gets called." He says. I smile. My Mom would be in pieces if something like this happened to me.

"Sure." I say pulling a chair up next to his bed.

"I'll call you later," Gil mumbles as he's about to leave, "oh, Naomi, maybe we can have dinner in a few days when this is over.

"Great, I'll look forward to it." I say grinning at him. It's only when the doors of the lift closes Greg rounds on me.

"Did Grissom just ask you to dinner?" He asks, he looks confused, like my Uncle is some kind of sugar daddy. I'm internally laughing at the thought when the phone rings.

"Sorry, need to take this." I pull the phone to my ear. "Grissom."

"Hey, so why have you skipped town?" It's Nate, Ollie's boyfriend.

"Oh hey Nate, look kind of busy right now." I say.

"Oh right, well honey call me back?" He asks.

"Sure, bye Nate." I hang up the phone.

"Sorry." I say pushing my phone back into my pocket.

"Grissom? You're a relative?" Greg asks. I nod.

"I'm his niece." I say. He nods.

"He never really mentioned you, sorry, I mean, he's very..."

"Quiet, secretive, protective." I say, "Sadly I'm not that much like him." I look him over, he's in pieces.

"You look like him." He says. "The eyes." His voice is so frail and thin. I fake offense.

"Oh god! Don't say that to me!" I say "You've only just met me!" He smiles.

"Miss Sanders." Greg looks confused; I turn to the door remembering my alias.

"Yes?" I ask trying to look upset and pathetic.

"Oh, I was just checking you'd found your brother." I smile at the sweet nurse.

"Yes, thank you." She smiles and backs out of the room.

"Miss Sanders?" He asks. I nod sadly.

"They weren't going to let a random person in were they?" I ask, pulling off my heels. He nods and yawns.

"Look Greg, you can sleep, I don't mind." He looks questioningly at me.

"You got hurt?" He asks. My fingers fly to the cut on my forehead.

"Yeah, head hit the steering wheel." I sigh. "That's the eighth time I've had to have stitches. He smiles again. "Look Greg sleep, or they'll throw me out." I say.

"Sorry Mom." He mutters.

"Yeah whatever, go to sleep." I say leaning my head back on to the chair closing my eyes.

"Naomi." He says. I open my easy.

"What?" I mutter.

"Thank you for coming." He says. I smile.

"You're welcome Greg."


	4. Chapter 3

I felt someone nudge my arm.

"Go away Nate, he's in the other room." I grumble as I try to pull the covers over my eyes.

"Um... Naomi, sorry, but your Uncle's on the phone." The pathetically small voice from above my head makes me panic. My eyes shoot open and I sit up. Oh god, I've actually fallen asleep with my head on the hospital bed.

"Sorry Greg." I pull a pathetic face and take the phone out of his hand.

"Naomi, where are you?" He asks. He sounds panicked.

"Hospital, what's going on?" I ask. Greg's eyes flick up to mine, he looks confused. I smile and walk out into the hall.

"We've found the link, between the vics." He says. I make a 'hmm' noise and he continues.

"Well, taking Greg out of the equation we've worked out that they're mostly going for tourists." My heart rises to my stomach. Vegas is full of tourists, its tourist central. "Naomi, don't leave the hospital, Brass is on his way over, and he wants to ask you some questions." He says.

"Right, well I got nowhere else to go." I say. "See you later Uncle Gil." I hang up and walk back into the room. Greg smiles at me.

"You did such a cop pose then." He smiles, for the first time since I've met him, a big smile. He's laughing at me. I raise my eyebrow.

"Don't be so offensive." I say in mock horror. He smiles.

"No, it's a compliment. I mean you are a cop right?" He asks. I laugh.

"Hell no! Private Investigator." I say. He nods.

"Right, why didn't you get into the cops?" He asks. I smile.

"You've met my Uncle. Shining example of why you should be a cop." I say. He smirks and looks up at the door.

"Hey Brass." I turn, short, balding, looks like he could kick your ass in ten seconds if he wanted to.

"How're feeling Greg?" He asks. Greg shrugs.

"What can I say? Feeling fine." He is doing remarkably better since Gil visited. I smile at the effect my Uncle has had on Greg, they must be close.

"Miss Grissom, Captain Brass." He holds out his hand. I rise from the chair and shake his hand. "We're going to need you to come down to the station to give a statement on the... incident." He says delicately looking at Greg. I nod.

"Right." I stand up and pull my jacket of off the chair putting my phone into my back pocket. "Bye Greg." I'm almost out of the door when he stops me.

"Naomi?" I turn.

"Yup?"

"Will you come back?" He asks, and suddenly looks embarrassed. I nod.

"Of course. See you later." I wave as I follow Brass to the elevator.

"He's taken a shine to you." He said as the doors closed. I raise my eyebrows, a guy like Greg probably takes a shine to anything wearing a skirt.

"So, if you could start from the very beginning." Brass sits on the other side of the table, sympathetic.

"We-

"Brass can I have a word?" A guy appears at the door. Tall, with a bit of hair, a superior air about him. They leave and I'm sat there fiddling with my necklace. When they walk back in Brass gives me a 'brace yourself' look and leans against the wall at the back of the room.

"Miss Grissom, I'm Director Ecklie, I'm going to be conducting the rest of this interview." He says sitting down on a chair opposite me. Interview? I'm giving a statement.

"Miss Grissom, have you been to Vegas before?" He asks.

"Yes, this is my third visit." I say, slightly baffled, put I'll play along.

"You're good at kickboxing." It's a statement. So, he's been talking to Gil.

"Yeah, I used to do it a lot when I was in my teens. My Mom wanted me to be able to protect myself if I got assaulted." I say.

"Right, but you could attack someone else." He says. My face drops; he thinks that I single handily beat up Greg and the other guy.

"Mr Ecklie, anyone could attack someone else." I say leaning forward in my seat. "Plus, how would I be able to beat up two able-bodied men, one of whom is a cop, and therefore has to go through regular fitness checks. I am a twenty-nine year old woman, who is five six. There is no way I could have hit both of them." I finish leaning back. Ecklie turns to Brass who raises his eyebrows a smile playing on his lips.

"Thank you for time Miss Grissom." He says curtly. I smile sweetly at him.

"Thank **you** Mr Ecklie." I say in the sassiest voice possible. Brass smirks as Ecklie leaves the room.

"Okay, I'll just ask you things we don't already know and then we need you to provide a DNA sample." He says as he sits in the chair Ecklie was in only moments before.

"How many were there."

"I don't know, it was hard to tell, maybe twelve, thirteen." I say biting my lip in concentration.

"Did you see which direction they went?" He asked.

"Right." I say. He smiles.

"Thank you for your cooperation Miss Grissom." The door opens and in walks a woman. Tall, blonde, she looks old and young. She's hot, but then again, she does look like someone's Mom.

"Hi, I'm Catherine Willows; I'm going to be taking finger prints and DNA." She smiles. "Can you stand up for me please?" She's asking all of these questions very nicely, but I know that somewhere inside her, she can be scary as hell. I stand and as she's taking my fingerprints she smiles.

"So you're Grissom's niece then?" She says.

"Don't remind me." I say smiling. She laughs.

"How come I've never met you before?" She asks. I think the question through.

"Haven't been in Vegas that long, I move around a lot." She nods at my answer and takes my DNA.

"It was nice to meet you." She says shaking my hand. For some reason I don't think she does this with all of the people she takes DNA from. Brass ushers me out of the room and points down the hall.

"Your uncle's office is just in there, he wants to see you quickly." He says.

"Thank you Captain Brass." I say smiling. I walk down the hall and into the office, knocking on the open door. My uncle waves me in and I stand there awkwardly while he talks on the phone.

"Yup, okay thanks." He puts down the phone and looks at me. "That's the case broken." He says smiling. I grin.

"Really?" I ask. He nods. "That's great!" I say grinning. The only thing I can think about is telling Greg, but I am so tired and hungry. I got to Vegas at half four this morning, it is now half past three. I haven't had a full night's sleep in around two days. But the only thing I can think of is Greg.

"So I thought we could have dinner." He says. I nod smiling.

"Won't you want to go see Greg with the rest of the team?" I ask. He nods.

"Yeah, but I've already seen him." He says. I laugh.

"Yeah, well I'm going to go up to the hospital to see him. I'll call you when I get back?" I say. He shakes his head.

"Just come home at seven." He says. I nod but start to feel uncomfortable.

"Knock, knock." We both turn, there's a guy stood at the door. Grey hair, long thin nose, air of importance.

"Hodges, what is it?" My uncle asks. He sounds kind of pissed.

"Sorry, I'll be off." I say. "See you later Uncle Gil." I say. "Bye." I smile at the guy who is now staring at me. Now I'm almost sprinting down the corridor. I can't wait to tell Greg that they have got everyone responsible.

My phone rings as I'm stood in the elevator.

"Hello?" I ask. I'm buzzing, for some reason I am so happy that I want to sing.

"You sound happier." The voice on the other end of the phone says.

"Oh hey Nate, how are you?" I ask. He laughs.

"What about how's Ollie, he's devastated that you've left town." He says. I smile.

"He'll get over it. Send him my love." I say. "Look, I'll call you two soon, but I'm kind of busy now." I say. He snorts.

"Busy with what, a man?" He asks. The doors of the elevator ping open and I walk down the hall.

"Yes, actually." I say laughing.

"You've dumped us already?" He asks in shock horror.

"Nate, you know my heart belongs to you and Ollie." I say. "I gotta go. Bye." I hang up the phone just as I hear it. The scream. The pain filled noise that makes my blood go cold. The noise that tells you that someone in the vicinity is in so much pain that they can't bare it, that it is ripping them apart. And then I realise that the noise is coming from the room next to Greg's. The room where the kid he hit is staying. I run into Greg's room, and he's stood there at there, looking into the room. He turns when he hears me and gives me a look of guilt and sadness. I shake my head.

"No. You are not going to do that." I walk into the room and slam the door behind me. I think about what I am supposed to do know. I walk across the room and wrap my arms around him hugging him tightly. He hugs me back. "Whatever you feel you have done let it go. He was going to kill you. You had no choice. He was a killer. Where would that guy be without you. Where would I be without you?" I ask. He pulls away from me and looks at me confused. I roll my eyes. "I would be at dinner with my Uncle, and God knows I want to put that awkwardness off for as long as possible." He smiles, and I squeeze him one last time. "You're a good guy Greg. You were just doing your job." I step away from him awkwardly.

"So, you're going to dinner with Grissom?" He asks. I nod.

"Yeah, we haven't really seen each other in a while." I say. Massive understatement, the last time I saw him I was twenty-one, and I was dying to get away from him. "I heard the others would be coming up so I'm going to go." I say. He shakes his head.

"No, you can stay." He says.

"Trust me, I would much rather stay here, but I have to go." I pull a piece of paper out of my pocket and scrawl down my number.

"Call me." I say handing him the paper. He looks up confused.

"You owe me dinner; I haven't slept for three days. I am now running on coffee and sugar." I smile.

"Of course." He says. "See you soon then." He says.

"I guess so." I say. We're stood opposite each other awkwardly. I finally cross the room and hug him once more. "Bye Greg." I say, and turn walking out of the room. Now all I have to do is psych myself up for dinner with my Uncle. All I have to do now is go home.


	5. Chapter 4

**Hey people are still reading, I don't know how many of you are out there but thanks for sticking around Just want to say a quick hello to lotzalove. You'll be glad to know that there is a lot more of Ollie later, so hopefully that will keep you here reading. **

**As ever, enjoy **

"So what have you been up to?" He asks. He pours me a glass of wine and I think. What have I been doing?

_Running away from you._

"Um, well I've been busy with work." I say. He nods.

"What're you doing?" He asks.

"Private Investigator work." I say staring at my wine glass.

"PI work?" He asks. He sounds less angry than I thought he would be. I mumble some affirmative.

"Yeah, it's good work." I say the waitress comes up and puts our food in front of us. "Interesting." I say. He thanks her and then looks straight at me.

"Can you use a gun?" He asks. I look up at him raising my eyebrows. He hates guns, my Uncle Gil was the first person to teach me that guns were evil and that I could find other ways to protect myself.

"Yeah, but I haven't had to for a while." I say. He looks

"You need to get down to the range then." He says. My entire universe has completely changed. Everything I have ever been taught by my uncle has suddenly changed. In one moment, the world has been ripped apart. "I'll get Brass or Nick to help you." He finishes. When he looks up at me, he looks confused. "What?" He asks. I laugh.

"Nothing, it's just really uncharacteristic of you." I say. He nods.

"Sanders seems taken with you." He says. I look up from my pasta.

"What? No, Greg's a nice guy; he's just being nice Uncle Gil." I say. He rolls his eyes.

"The amount of time I have spent with Greg, I know that he's not just being nice." He says. I shake my head.

"Anyway, nothing would ever happen." I say "kind of my policy."

"Policy?" He looks confused.

"Yeah, well I hardly ever stay in one place longer than six months." I say. "So, it's better I don't get involved with people." He smirks.

"Do you just not get involved with people because you're not good with people." He asks. My mouth falls open.

"I'm not good with people, what about you?" I ask indignantly. He smiles.

"Okay, fair point." We sit there eating for a while in silence until he points at my hand. "What's that?" He asks. The tattoo. How can I tell him what the tattoo means.

"Oh, just a tattoo." I say. He raises his eyebrow. "Yeah, I know you don't approve. Sorry." I cover it with my hand and he laughs.

"Nah, it's just the significance of the scorpion?" He asks. He wants me to be truthful. There is no way I am going to do that.

"A girlfriend of mine from college got a matching one." I say. He nods, but I can tell he doesn't believe me. Oh well, it's not the first time I've lied to my Uncle Gil about various different things.

We stand in front of the house. It looks so similar to the way it did when I was a kid. The last time I was here was the day I left for college. I feel scared to go inside. He nudges me forward. My legs feel stuck. There's the window I left open when I wanted to sneak in on certain nights, the tree I climbed when I was seven. This house is as close to a home as I ever got, but I still feel out of place. I follow Uncle Gil up the drive, suitcase in hand. He pauses to unlock the door and turns to me.

"You can have your old room back." He says pleased with himself. I smile slightly and follow him into the house. A dog runs out of the kitchen, straight into me. I kneel down on the floor and wrap my arms around his neck.

"Hank, you're so god damn big." I say hugging him. The last time I saw Hank I was eighteen and he was a tiny little puppy just born. Uncle Gil had taken me to the breeder because he'd wanted a dog, and I had chosen Hank.

"He recognises you." My uncle smiles down at me sat on the floor, any second now, this dog is going to sit on me and I am going to fall over. A moment later, after I have been sat on by Hank, I'm in the room that was once mine. It looks similar. There are no sheets on the bed, and the cupboard is empty, but it still looks the same as it did when I left it. I put my bag on the floor and perch on the edge of the bed. It still feels a bit strange, like I shouldn't be here. After all, this stopped being my house years and years ago.

"It's okay." I look to the door and my Uncle is stood there leaning against the door frame.

"What?" I ask. He smiles.

"I know that you find it awkward here, but you can stay for as long as you want." He says. I stand up and cross the room warily before hugging him awkwardly. He wraps one arm around me awkwardly.

"Thank you Uncle Gil." I say. When I pull away he looks at me sadly.

"Well, that's what family is for."

"Night." I mumble closing the door softly as he walks down the hall. I wander into the tiny en suite; I look at my face in the mirror. Large dark circles surround my eyes and I look almost translucent pale. I sigh, pulling of my supposedly high class clothes and put the shower on. As the warm water streams over my skin all I can do is stand there and take it. I am too tired to do anything else. I wash my hair and cover my skin in soap, it still feels horrible, even after the shower I had at the Presley Motel. I turn off the shower and pad out of the bathroom into my room with a towel wrapped around me. My phone rings as I'm pulling my pyjamas out of my bag.

"Hey, can you talk now?" It's Nate.

"Hey, sorry, crazy day. What's up?" I ask, willing to be distracted from the fact that I am so tired and it's only half nine, on a Friday night.

"Nothing really. I mean minus the fact that you skipped town on us." He says. I take a deep breath. I'm now sat on my bed trying to dry my hair with the towel.

"I'm sorry Nate, but you know how I am. I felt trapped, I had to leave." I mumble as I dry my hair.

"Where are you now?" He asks. I sigh; he's not going to be happy when I tell him.

"Vegas." I mumble.

"VEGAS!" He shouts. I jerk the phone away from ear. Yes it's true that I hardly ever stopped telling them how I couldn't go to Vegas because my Uncle was there, but the fact I had now skipped town in order to go to Vegas.

"Yeah." I say.

"But you always said you hated Vegas." He says sounding confused.

"I do." I pass a hand through my hair as I make up my bed. "And I'm leaving as soon as I can." I say. He coughs.

"Are you sure, because you have said that before. You said that the day me and Ollie got together, and then you stayed for another four months." He's right, I have said that before.

"Yeah, I know, but Vegas isn't the place for me. The first thing that happened when I got here was someone got beat up. I've been at the hospital and the police station all day." I say as I lie back on my pillow, I can feel myself going to sleep.

"Oh God, are you okay?" He asks. He sounds worried now.

"Yeah, I'm fine, just needed stitches, but I'm really tired." I hint.

"Oh right, well just call when you need me." He says. "Ollie sends his love. Bye."

"Bye Nate." As the phone line clicks to silence, I pull myself under the covers and roll up in a ball. The sheets smell just like they used to after they'd been washed clean, the cheap washing powder Uncle Gil has bought ever since I've known him. I close my eyes and listen to the sound of the Vegas suburb as everything quietens.

I go to sleep on Friday the twentieth of June. When I wake up, it's midday Sunday the twenty-second of June.

"Good morning sleeping beauty." Uncle Gil quips as I walk into the living room rubbing my eyes.

"Mornin'." I go into the kitchen and grab a bottle of Sunny-D. That was the one treat I was allowed at Uncle Gil's when I was a kid. The weird orange stuff that made your skin go orange. I walk back into the longue holding it aloft.

"You remembered." I say smiling. He nods.

"How could I not?" I laugh and settle on the sofa opposite him, curling my legs underneath me. He looks up from some science journal he's reading.

"I was wondering how long you were planning on staying in Vegas." He says. My stomach drops, I don't want to stay in Vegas as long as I can help it.

"Well, I was thinking of moving onto Phoenix." I say looking down at my lap.

"Right, well I was thinking you could stay for a while." I look up at him; he's staring intently at the page in the journal. I think for a moment that his eyes might burn a hole through the page like that guy from the X-Men.

"Well I don't want to intrude." I say looking up. He looks up too.

"No!" He pauses, thinks for a moment and then shoves the magazine off of his lap.

"Look, Naomi, you left eight years ago. I haven't seen you since. You've never called, I don't know where you've been, and I don't even know how you've survived." He pauses and checks that I'm still looking at him. "You should stay. You have links in Vegas, stay for a while anyway," he looks up from his hands casually. I pause. This is awkward enough without him spilling out his feelings, which he has never done before. I think for a moment.

"Well, maybe. I still have to wait around for a bit to get my stitches out." He nods.

"Well you can stay here as long as you like." He says looking back at the journal. And just like that the emotional Uncle Gil has gone, dissolved into the air, and I'm left on the sofa, in my pyjamas feeling like a confused child.

Ollie calls three days later.

"So, where are you?" He asks. "Miami, New York, Timbuktu?" I laugh.

"Yeah funny Ollie. Nah, still Vegas." I say as I get ready to go to the hospital. Stitches out today, at last.

"Right, well call me when you change your mind." He says in a bitchy tone. I smirk.

"Bye Ollie, love you." He hangs up just as Uncle Gil walks in. He raises an eyebrow at the last comment.

"Friend!" I protest as I pick up my keys and pull on my jacket. He gives me the 'yeah whatever, wasn't really bothered' look before I run out of the house. "See you later!"

I drive up to the hospital feeling slightly trapped. Yes, Vegas has an amazing buzz and it is pretty, but it's closed. You could get trapped in the city so easily. I watch the people as I drive past them. Do they know that in fifty years there won't be enough water to go around? Then what will happen? Riots? Or maybe even worse. And this is the moment I decide the minute I have had my stitches out I'm leaving.

I sit on the hospital bed as the doctor takes the stitches out.

"What was it?" He asks before looking at me to check whether or not that's a rude thing to ask.

"Car crash, kinda." It did get more complicated after that, but he doesn't need to know. He sticks out his tongue as he concentrates on pulling the thread out of my head and I wince slightly as they slide out. He bins them and then picks up a clipboard.

"Okay, that's not the first time you've had stitches so, please be careful I don't want to see people like you in here again." He says.

"Thanks Doc." I have a feeling that this isn't the last time I will have stitches.

"Naomi?" I turn towards my voice, and stood in the doorway is a slightly less beaten to shit, Greg.

"Hey, Greg, how're you doing?" I ask moving out of the room into the corridor.

"Not bad, they said I could get out soon, almost healed." He says pointing at his face. It dawns on me that this is the first time I have ever seen Greg properly. The first time he's ever been stood in front of me and has not been hunched over. I smile.

"Great, well I've just had my stitches out." I say pointing at my head. He nods. An almost awkward silence grows when my phone rings.

"Sorry." I say pulling it out, it's Uncle Gil. "Hello?" I ask, what did he want know.

"You're not skipping town on me." He says. I roll my eyes, how the hell did he know?

"What?" I ask, pretending to be shocked.

"You know what I'm talking about." He says. Suddenly I feel angry. How dare he?

"Look, I can do what I want now Uncle Gil, because I have a car, I have petrol and I have some money." I say. I'm hissing at him down the phone, I feel kind of bad now. "Sorry, I just, I. Never mind you'd never get it. See you later." I hang up and turn back to Greg.

"See you around." I say. He nods. Just as I'm about to walk out the door he stops me.

"Naomi. You can leave town yet." He says. I turn feeling angry that someone else is dictating my life to me. "I still owe you dinner." He says grinning.

"Right." I laugh. "Still got my number?" I ask. He pulls that piece of paper out of his back pocket. I feel touched that he would keep it with him. "See you soon then."


	6. Chapter 5

**Hey to all of the people out there. Thanks to those of you who have alerted or favourited this, or both. And thanks to everyone who has reviewed. I'm really sorry, but this is a filler. Enjoy :)**

I stand in front of the receptionist feeling slightly scared. I hate job interviews, there are so many things I could be doing with my life right now.

"Ten thirty, with Marty? Sure." She seems like a nice woman. She's large, but in a huggable sense and is sweet. She looks as if she's going to pick up the phone and call Marty, but instead she stands up and walks towards the corridor running off from the right of her desk.

"MARTY. GIRL HERE TO SEE YOU!" She yells. A couple of the doors are slammed shut, and a voice calls back.

"YEAH, THANKS NYSSA!"

"NO PROBLEM HONEY, HEY DOES YOU'RE WIFE KNOW?" She yells back winking at me. I can feel myself going slightly pink.

"HA HA. VERY FUNNY. SEND HER DOWN." He calls back. She turns to me rubbing her hands laughing.

"First door on the right." She says. I walk down the hall feeling scared again. This may not go well. I knock on the door and the guy springs up from his desk. He looks about thirty, thin, wiry and quite short.

"Naomi?" He asks. I nod. "Marty Wickers." He says. I shake his hand. He sits in his chair and gestures for me to do the same. I sit opposite him, straight back and cross my legs. I can feel my palms sweating. "So, how much experience have you had in the Investigative industry?" He asks pulling out a pen as if he's going to write it down. I pull the list out of my bag and hand it to him. I laugh as his eyebrows hit his hairline.

"Yeah, I like moving around a lot." I say. He nods.

"I can see." He says. "You've been in Vegas before?" He asks.

"Yeah, it was a short time job, but I'm planning for staying in Vegas for a while." I say. He nods.

"Well experience wise I guess you're good. Do you own a gun?" He asks. I'm shocked at the question and shake my head slowly. "Right, well we advise all of our workers to have some form of protection, especially the women." He says looking at me seriously. I hear a snort from behind me.

"Yeah right, because we need protection. Just hurry up and hire her." I turn to see a pretty blonde girl stood behind. She's probably younger than me, but it's hard to tell through all the makeup. Marty laughs.

"Naomi this is Maddy, she'll be your partner." He says. I expect Maddy to look pissed off at being dumped with the new girl but she just grins.

"YES!" She sticks her head out of the door and shouts down the hall. "PETE, SORRY YOU'RE NO LONGER MY PARTNER. SISTERS ARE DOING IT FOR THEMSELVES!" She yells. A young guy walks into the doorway.

"What? Marty?" He asks. "Oh hey." He says as his eyes meet mine. "Peter Parker, you know like Spiderman." He says. I laugh.

"Yeah, what he didn't tell you was he changed his name to Peter, it was originally Keith." She says. I smile and he glares at her.

"Cow." He hisses as he leaves with a playful look on his face.

"Love you too honey." She says. "Anyways, Marty I got that report about my last case." She hands over a file and waves me goodbye. "See you tomorrow partner." She says. Marty turns back to me.

"Well, you've got the job." He says. I smile.

"Thank you so, so much." I say standing. "When do I start?" I ask.

"Now?" He asks. I nod grinning.

The rest of the day passes in a blur. I have coffee at lunch with Pete and Maddy, help Nyssa organise her files, turn down a case from a woman wanting to know if her husband will cheat on her by using me as lady bait and ignore my phone. I'm sat on Maddy's desk five minutes before the end of work helping her carry some old case files out of the cupboard.

"It's weird." She says.

"Huh?" I ask concentrating on not falling over.

"I've only met you today, but I feel like you're a really good friend." She says. I turn to her smiling over the top of the files.

"Thanks, same." I say. She grins.

"Oh we should so go for cocktails!" She says pulling the files out of my hands dumping them on the floor. She grabs her coat and throws me mine before walking down the hall.

"PETE, NYS, MARTY COCKTAIL INDUCTION." She yells. I look at her.

"Induction?" She raises her eyebrows, and everyone has run out of their offices.

"It's Friday night, might as well." She says shrugging. I nod.

"Yeah, lets." Famous last words.

Two hours later I am sat on a barstool drinking way too much with Maddy on one side and Pete on the other.

"If you touch her Parker, I will kill you." Maddy slurs. I giggle.

"Well, you should just, shut up." He says sticking out his tongue.

"Oh touché." Marty says laughing. He's the most sober out of all of us. Nyssa had to leave an hour ago she was so drunk.

"Wha' time is it?" I ask pulling Pete's arm in order to check the time.

"Half twelve." He mumbles.

"Oh my god, I have to go." I say standing up so fast that the stool falls out from underneath me. Maddy and Pete laugh hysterically. Marty pulls me to my feet.

"We need to get you home." He says. I don't remember him taking me out of the bar, I don't remember him sticking me in a taxi, but I do remember getting home and stumbling through the front door to find my Uncle's house is cold and quiet.

I push my weight against the front door, because my key isn't working. Probably because I'm drunk. I fall over the doorstep and pull at the door handle to keep myself stable. Hank sits in the hall looking at me. I look up at him. He stares back dolefully. I give up. I shouldn't be here; I am doing all of the things I shouldn't. I'm getting far too settled. I lie on the floor looking at the ceiling. I lie there for a long time, I lose track of time and soon it's getting light, and I'm just lying there. I missed this, but it's always better if you miss things. I stretch my arms towards the ceiling and looked at my hands. They used to be smaller, less scarred, and they didn't have a tattoo. The dark outline of the scorpion reminds me of why I must leave, and I must do it now. I get up, pull myself off of the floor and meander down the hall. I slip on my rug and fall onto my bed. There is no point, absolutely none.

I roll over to lie on my back and face the ceiling; Hank wanders in and lies across me. I don't move now, there would be nothing I could do if I wanted to move, Hank's weight is pinning me to the bed, in a non-creepy way. I close my eyes and listen to him breathing. Soon enough I will fall asleep.

I wake up because it's cold. Hank is gone. I get up and wander into the kitchen.

_Taken Hank for walk. Be back later. G_

I smirk. So formal for my uncle. I put on the radio and drink a litre of water and take a couple of aspirin. My head isn't as bad as I would have expected. I go back into my room and shower and pull on some jeans and a t shirt. I cannot be assed to make an effort today. I go back in the kitchen and cover the toast in peanut butter and sit on the counter. If Uncle Gil was here, he would flip. The house is quiet and empty without Hank, and I don't like it. I finish the toast and go back into my room, brush my teeth and lie on my bed staring at the ceiling; I should probably go out and do something worthwhile.

I've just got my trainers on when the doorbell rings. I pull out my I-pod and go up to the door. He looks up from the ground bashfully as if he feels bad that he's here.

"Hey." He says breathlessly, as if he's confused.

"Hey, how are you?" I ask. The bruises are going down, there's only one still under his eye. I have an urge to reach out and touch it but I stop myself because that is creepy.

"Not bad. Is your Uncle in?" He asks. I shake my head.

"Sorry Greg, dog walk." I say. He nods.

"Right, well I'll be going then." He says.

"No don't, he'll be back any minute." I say. "Come in." I pull the door open wider and he notices the trainers, shorts and tank top.

"Nah, you look like you were going out running anyway." He says turning.

"Greg. Just wait five minutes he'll be back by then." I say. He looks awkwardly towards the house. I laugh.

"It's okay, I trust you to act responsibly." I say. He walks towards the door.

"Well, I dunno about that." He says. I laugh and pull off my trainers as he stands in the hall looking around.

"What?" I ask tilting my head slightly.

"Nah, I just expected it to be way more, creepy." He says. I raise my eyebrow. "I mean creepy crawlies!" He says making up for his mistake. I smile.

"It's okay; I'm just messing with ya." I walk back into the kitchen.

"Do you want some coffee?" I ask putting on the kettle.

"I'm good thanks." He stands in this house as if he shouldn't be here.

"Calm down Greg, you look like a rabbit in the headlights." I say. He smiles running a hand through his hair.

"I just feels like, like a forbidden place." He says. I can feel a half smile on my lips. It does feel like that. To me, I shouldn't be here, but not for the same reasons as Greg. He's watching me; I can feel his gaze on my back as I pour myself some black coffee.

"Yeah, it kinda is." I mutter wrapping my hands around the cup.

"Nice tattoo." He says pointing at the scorpion that symbolises all of the things in my life that are wrong. I instinctively cover it. He looks embarrassed that he's brought up a problem subject. I force myself to show him the tattoo. I put the mug down and inspect my hand tracing the outline with my hand.

"Yeah, I got it in Vegas actually." I say. He looks impressed.

"Nice. So you've been in Vegas before?" He asks. I nod.

"Yeah, I lived here for a while when I was seventeen and I came back a few times after." I let my hand drop to my side and I pick up the coffee again. It goes kind of silent in the room, not awkwardly so, just silent. I half watch him as he looks around a bit more. When he looks back at me, my eyes snap back to my coffee. I feel slightly foolish and look up at him.

"Are you sure you don't want any coffee?" I ask. He shakes his head. "I don't blame you, it's awful." I say throwing the rest down the sink. The door bangs and Hank runs straight up to me. I kneel on the floor and stroke him.

"Naomi, you up yet?" Uncle Gil's voice comes through the house and Greg freezes slightly. I smirk.

"Yup." I say. "In the kitchen." He stops when he comes round the corner seeing Greg stood by the counter.

"Oh, hey Greg." He says. I smile at my uncle. "Naomi, there was a phone call for you earlier. Some guy called Marty." He says. I nod. "He was just checking you got home alright." He says.

"Right." I say. There's an awkward pause. I feel as if I should leave so I spin and walk into the longue and put on Oprah. I sit and pretend to watch the interview with Kim Kardashian as if it is one of the most interesting things I have ever seen. In the background I can hear the conversation.

"I feel fine. I just want to get back into the field."

"Greg, you know that I can't do that. You need to do office work."

"Please Grissom, there's no meaning to anything I do." Greg sounds pathetic and pitiful. I want to march into the kitchen and get involved, but I won't. This has nothing to do with me.

"I'm sorry Greg." My Uncle says. Greg sighs and walks out of the kitchen towards the front door.

"Bye Greg." I say turning away from the riveting interview.

"Bye." He closes the door after him and my Uncle comes in and sits on the chair to the left of me. I raise my eyebrow.

"What?" He asks.

"You could let him, I don't know why, but for some reason you just don't want to." I say. He shakes his head still refusing to look at me. Apparently he finds this interview with Kim as interesting as I did only moments before.

"Uncle Gil. Call him." He ignores me and I stand up. "Jesus, you are such a child." I say walking into the kitchen. He turns.

"And why do you care?" He asks inquisitively. I turn my back on him while I think of an answer.

"If that had happened to you, if you had been attacked and you were at your most vulnerable you would want to put on a front. You would want to prove to the people that you know that you aren't scared, that everything is going normally." I say. "That's why I care, because I get what he's doing." I say as I walk towards the door. I pull on my trainers.

"I'm going out." And I leave him sat in the house thinking about what he should do.


	7. Chapter 6

**Hi everyone, sorry I haven't updated in a while. Crazy life time. Anyway, hopefully this chapter will answer some questions. Enjoy and thanks to everyone who's alerted, favourited and commented. **

It's Monday and I am in my new office arranging my stuff. Mostly it's just the photo booth pictures. I pick up the frayed picture of me Nate and Ollie. That night when we'd been wandering home from the bar, and I'd forced them to go into the photo booth. The wind tunnel face, the hamster face and the massive eyes face. I miss them, that much has been confirmed to me. I tuck the picture into the corner of the photo frame just as Nyssa screams down the hall.

"NAOMI, COP HERE TO SEE YOU!" I laugh. That narrows it down. I know many cops.

"PETE HIDE YOUR WEED!" Maddy yells from across the hall. I laugh as she winks at me.

"FUCK OFF MADDY! OFFICER TO CLARIFY THERE IS NO WEED!" He yells. I laugh.

"NYS, WHO IS IT?" I ask.

"I DUNNO, SOME COP. YOUNG, HANDSOME!" She yells. Maddy squeals.

"OOOH, SEND HIM DOWN!" Maddy shouts. I laugh. Nyssa mutters something and I hear footsteps coming down the hall. I turn to sort out the shelves behind me as I hear the floor creak behind me. I turn to find Greg there holding the picture of me, Ollie and Nate. He's smiling at it slightly. He's in his crime vest and the bruises on his face are fading more. Well it makes sense; he was attacked two weeks ago.

"Can I help you Officer?" I ask smirking. He holds up the picture.

"Boyfriend?" He asks. I start laughing hysterically. "What?" He asks laughing too.

"YOU KIDDING, SHE WOULD NEVER GET A BOYFRIEND." Maddy yells from her room.

"LEAVE HER ALONE MADS, NAOMI, I'LL BE YOUR BOYFRIEND." Pete shouts. I move towards the door.

"THANKS, I'LL BEAR IT IN MIND." I close the door behind me. "Sorry, their crazy." I say. "Nah, they're dating, I lived with them in San Francisco." I lean against the filing cabinet at the back of the room.

"Anyway, can I help you Greg?" I ask. He suddenly looks awkward and coughs looking at his feet.

"Yeah, well I do owe you; I owe you dinner, right?" He asks. I grin.

"Yup, you do." I say. A silence grows across the room.

"Well, what about later, before I go on my shift." He says. I bit my lip. "About six?" He says. I nod.

"I get off at half five." I say.

"Right." He smiles and turns towards the door. "See you at six then." He says. I smile.

"See you later Greg." After he's left the door creeps open and Maddy walks in beaming.

"Well look at you dating a cop." She says. I roll my eyes.

"Maddy, I am not dating him, we're just having dinner." I say putting my feet up on my desk and looking at the case file Marty has thrown into the room.

"Yeah, well give it time." She says laughing as she wanders out of the room. Pete sticks his head round the door.

"Sorry to side with Mads, but you so are." He says.

"THANKS PETE!" She shouts from her office. I roll my eyes. This may not have been a great idea.

"So where is it you're going?" Uncle Gil asks.

"Dinner." I say as I pull my jacket on.

"Who with?" He asks. I'm just about to tell him when the doorbell rings. I walk over to the door and instead of Greg, it's that cop that I met a couple of weeks ago.

"Oh hey, is your Uncle in?" She asks. Uncle Gil walks up behind me and pushes the door open.

"Hi Sara." He says. I raise my eyebrow.

"You haven't told her have you?" She asks. He shakes his head and I'm stood there feeling like a child.

"Told me what?" I ask.

"Well, um. Basically, we're together." Sara says. My mouth falls open gobsmacked. How much younger than him is she? The door rings again and I walk towards it. Sara and Uncle Grissom wander into the kitchen, just as I open the door. Greg's stood there.

"Hey." I say smiling.

"Hey, you ready to go?" He asks. I nod.

"See you later." I shout. Uncle Gil pokes his head around the door of the kitchen.

"Okay bye, Greg?" He looks shocked. I push Greg out of the door.

"Bye!" I walk down the drive and he follows me looking amused.

"You didn't tell him?" He asks. I shake my head.

"Nah, he doesn't need to know." I say, he laughs.

"Great." He says sighing.

"Look he's gonna give me more hassle than you'll get." I say. My phone has just buzzed.

_1 New Message: _

_From: Uncle Gil_

_Message: Greg?_

I sigh and text back:

_Sara?_

"So then I got into the field and that's me." He says from across the table. We're sat in some restaurant near all of the casinos and I've just finished eating dinner. I'm glad Greg's life story has gone on for so long, that at least means that I might get away from telling mine.

"What about you?" He asks. I laugh.

"We'll be here all night." I say.

"Okay, what about your tattoo?" He asks. My stomach sinks like a stone. I look up from my hands and at him on the other side of the table. He urging me on to do it. I raise my hand and show him the tattoo.

"When I was a kid, my Mom used to read to me all the time. I read my first book on my fourth birthday, _The Raven_, Edgar Allen Poe. My Uncle bought it for me." I smile at the memory of the pictures of the raven haunting the narrator. When I was a kid it had seemed so magical, but really it was terrifying and awful. "My Mom taught me everything, She had to I guess, my dad ran off when I was a baby so I never knew me. When I was sixteen she brought home this boyfriend. He was nice, really nice. He was like the father I'd never had." I look up from my ramblings to see Greg looking at me in a concerned way. "Sorry." I fold my hands on the table.

"No, go on." He says. I take a deep breath.

"Well, they were away for the weekend, I stayed with a friend and they were supposed to get home after school on Monday. When I got home from school, my Uncle Gil was there." I take an even deeper breath and try not to weep. "There was a crash, my stepdad had to serve to avoid another car, and they went into a tree and my mom..." I trail off and cough in an attempt to compose myself. "My stepdad was fine, and I lived with him for a while. About six months later, I came home from school again and, he'd killed himself. Guilt. He felt like he'd killed my Mom. I remember walking up the drive, and Uncle Gil was stood on the doorstep, and then I knew something had happened." I stop for a moment and then I know I can do this. "I lived with him for a while, but it was hard. They were really close when they were kids, my Mom and Uncle Gil, really close. She always looked after him and he always looked up to her. Somehow I couldn't help but think that Gil, I mean my Uncle would have had it that I had died and she hadn't you know?" I say. He doesn't nod, he just watches me. "So when I left, I got a tattoo. It's a scorpion like in the story of Orion." I say. He looks at me clueless.

"Nope." He says. I smile.

"He was a hunter in Greek Mythology. Apollo set a scorpion on him because he was scared that Orion would sleep with his sister. Depending on what story you read, Orion jumped into the sea to escape the scorpion and he was shot by Artemis his best friend, because she thought that he was beast of the sea. It's a reminder to me that I have to keep running, because if I stop my past will catch me. I've never told anyone that before." I mumble. Greg is sat on the other side of the table looking at me as if he's accidently found out who really shot JFK.

"I'm really sorry." He says.

"No, it's okay. Really, it was a long time ago." I say. "I should have got over it." I feel like a fool now.

"No. You shouldn't." He says. This is the most serious I have ever seen Greg. We sit in an awkward silence as everyone else in the restaurant gets on with their lives.

He walks me to my door in silence. He hasn't said a word to me since I spilled my guts all over the floor.

"Thanks for the dinner," I say smiling "it was really nice." I say. Just as I'm turning towards the door he stops me.

"I don't think your Uncle feels that way about you." He says. I smile sadly.

"Night Greg." Once I'm inside I put my back against the door and stand there for a moment.

"You okay?" My Uncle still hasn't left yet.

"Don't you have work?" I ask. Sara laughs from the longue.

"Still got twenty minutes." She yells. I walk in and sit on the chair near the TV. She looks up at me curiously.

"Are you okay?" She asks. I'm still fiddling with my tattoo. Pinching it and working my fingers over it. No. I am not alright, and as nice as Sara seems, I can't tell anyone.

"Yeah, fine. I'm going to bed." And just like the stroppy teenager that I am inside I get up and go to bed leaving a bewildered Sara in my wake. I sit on my bed staring at the wall. Now I feel like a bitch. I get up and go back into the longue where Sara is now stood car keys in hand. It's starting to rain outside and Uncle Gil has obviously gone to get the car for her. What a gentleman.

"Sara?" I ask. She turns.

"Oh, over your famous Grissom migraine?" She asks. I look at her questioningly. "Your Uncle gets them all the time; I figured they might run in the family." She says. I nod.

"Sorry I flipped out, it was rude." I say looking at my hands. I hate apologising. One of my rules in life is to never apologise. The world is too cruel to apologise to.

"It's okay." She says. I turned; satisfied that she's accepted it. "Look Naomi." She says. I turn to look back her. "I don't want you to feel threatened by me. I know for a while you had your Uncle all to yourself, and I'm not here to take him away from you." She says. I almost start laughing.

"Take him away from me, to be honest; it would be better if you did." I say still laughing. She thought I was jealous of there being someone else in my Uncle's life. She smiles seeming relieved.

"Right, 'cause, I'd like it if we could get along." She says.

"I'd like that too." I say. My uncle hits the horn outside in order to get Sara to leave.

"Bye." She waves as she walks out the door and I am left alone in the house, with the rain and Hank.

I get out of my car in the parking lot next to the office.

"Hey, Grissom!" I turn. Pete's just down the road from me, coffee in hand.

"Hey Spiderman, out crime fighting?" I ask pointing at the dark circles under his eyes. He laughs.

"Nah, I was out with Maddy again." He says. I smile, they make a sweet couple.

"Two nights on the trot?" I ask. "Don't you think that's bad for you?" I cock my head to one side laughing. He smirks.

"You're like my God-damn Mom." We're now inside the building and Nyssa smiles at me as we walk in.

"Morning Nys, what's up?" Pete asks. She turns to him smiling.

"Well Peter, our new recruit obviously has some admirers." She says winking at me.

"What?" I ask just as Maddy comes running out of my office with a massive bunch of flowers.

"Oh, my, God! Tell me everything!" She squeals.

"Maddy, she hasn't read the card yet, how can she tell you?" Marty asks, leaning in the doorway of his office.

"Good point." She says handing me the flowers. I walk down the hall and put them back in the vase Nyssa must have found somewhere. Everyone is stood in the door staring at me in anticipation. I pull out the card.

_Naomi, _

_Sorry about last night. Maybe you can forgive me._

_GS_

My heart melts. God bless him. I look up at everyone.

"Out." I say pushing the door closed in their faces as they protest. I pick up my cell and scroll down the list of contacts until I'm on Greg's number. I press the button without thinking and eventually, he answers the phone in a sleep filled voice.

"Hello?"

"Oh shit, sorry Greg. I forgot you worked nights." I say.

"Naomi?" He sounds more alert.

"I was just calling to thank you for the flowers." I say. "They're nice, but next time; don't forget that I'm allergic to sunflowers." I say.

"Oh sorry." He goes silent.

"Anyway, I'll let you get back to sleep." I say. He laughs. "What?" I ask.

"It's just; I haven't really slept since..." He trails off just as Maddy open the door.

"STAY AWAY FROM HER, SHE'S NOT GOING TO DATE YOU!" She screams down the phone. Pete is stood behind her dying with laughter. I push her out of the office and lean my back against the door.

"Ignore her, their crazy." I say. "Bye Greg."

"Night." And with that, the line was dead, and I was left in an office with sunflowers, and a bunch of crazy people who seemed to think that my personal life is of great importance.


	8. Chapter 7

**Okay, this is a better chapter, hopefully. Enjoy and please review **

"I feel bad for him though, I just want to at least be there." Sara's voice drifts through the kitchen as I'm sat there with my egg.

"Yeah, well it's a bit late for that. We have all of our witnesses." My Uncle Gil's voice comes back. Their late home. Usually it's half seven, but today it's half ten.

"Oh come on, he needs our support." Sara whines back as they wander into the kitchen.

"Mornin'" I say through a mouthful of egg. Uncle Gil shrivels his nose.

"Oh, you're such a lady." He says. Sara smirks.

"What's up?" I ask. They freeze in what they are doing and look at each other, a conversation going on that they don't want me to hear.

"Greg's hearing is today." Sara says. Uncle Gil looks pissed that she told me. I stand up, spilling my orange juice all over my legs. Without them saying anything I sprint into my room and pull out my black dress, the one that I only ever use when I'm involved with the police. Just as I'm about to get in the shower my Uncle opens the door. I glare daggers at him.

"Why didn't you tell me?" I hiss as I tie up my hair.

"I didn't want you to go." He says. I stop and turn on him.

"What?" I ask.

"I wanted to protect you, by going in there you could set yourself up for a lot of abuse, I know you, you'll stand up for Greg in front of the press and then it'll make you a target. Gregg will get it too, but we can protect him." He says. I snort with laughter.

"You really think that right now, I give a shit what the press will right about me. I know. Because I'm a girl, who is friends with Greg, I will be labelled the slut of a girlfriend, the one that's a psycho bitch. Uncle Gil, I don't care." I protest

"I don't mean like that. Pro-James supporters can get dangerous. They could follow you home, stalk you, and make your life hell." He says. I pause and then hold out my hand.

"Okay, I go to the hearing, and I'll take those stupid lessons to fire a gun." I say. He looks kind of satisfied, so I shake his hand and shove him out of the door before I get in the shower.

Half an hour later, I am looking presentable. Knee length dress, heels, make up. I walk out of my room grabbing my purse and jacket from the couch. Sara looks over at me.

"Say hi to him." She says. I nod.

"It's at the courtroom right?" I ask. She confirms wordlessly. Its okay, I'll get there for the start of the break. I'll make it there in time for the start of the break. I've been to Vegas enough times to have seen the court room.

I get to the hearing time just as they've come out. The press are everywhere. Demetrius James' mother is talking to as much as the press as possible. I see Greg and Detective Curtis down the hall. I walk towards them just in time to hear something that makes my stomach fall.

"I just want to be able to sleep at night." Greg's face is ashen. He's tired and feeling incredibly guilty.

"Hey." I say breathlessly as I walk up to them. Greg looks like he's seen a ghost. Detective Curtis smiles.

"Naomi Grissom?" She asks. So formal.

"Naomi, please." I say. She smiles and shakes my hand.

"I need to go to the bathroom." Greg says turning and leaving. We watch him go and then I turn to the detective.

"So what'd I miss?" I ask.

"Well I wasn't in their but I heard that his mother ranted at Greg." She said. I shake my head.

"The judge allowed it?" I ask. She nods swiftly.

"He's running." She says. I look at the floor.

"Son of a bitch." I hiss.

"Tell me about it." Her phone buzzes and she pulls it out of her pocket.

"Damn, I got to go. Tell Greg that it'll be fine." She says. I nod. "It was nice to meet you again Naomi." She says.

"You too." And she's gone. Out of the corner of my eye I see a guy walk away from the press where his mother is berating Greg and into the men's bathroom. I bite my lip. That's the brother of Demetrius James. And he is going into the men's bathroom, where Greg is. I follow slowly and wait until everybody has gone from the corridor. I push the door open slightly just in time to hear his voice.

"How brave do you feel now without your SUV?" He's taunting him, threatening him. I know that this is probably wrong, but me and my big mouth.

"How brave was your brother without the rock?" I ask pushing to door open to reveal myself.

"Lady, you can't come in here." He says turning at me and glaring.

"Answer the question. How brave was he? He wasn't even wearing his real eyes, to protect his identity. He was going around, dressed up attacking people. So how brave was he?" I ask sneering at the pathetic excuse for a man. "I'll tell you how brave he was-

He walks towards me and pushes me into the wall. Our faces are so close I can smell the smoke on his breath.

"You lay one finger on me, and that will be assault. I'm sure you understand what that is now." I mutter. He backs away from me and just as he's about to leave he turns to Greg.

"I'd watch your girlfriend. She might open her big, slutty mouth and get herself into trouble." He turns to me as he insults me and I can't help but smile.

"Honey, I have been called a slut by people whose shoes you could lick." I say. He has no comeback and turns walking out of the door. The moment he's gone I look up at Greg. He looks so small and fragile.

"Hey. Sorry I was late." I say. He crosses the room and hugs me tightly.

"I'm really glad you're here." He whispers into my hair.

"Excuse me madam, you're not supposed to be in here." A pissed of looking guy has just emerged from a cubicle and is looking at me like I'm dirt.

"Right, sorry." I walk out, pulling Greg with me. We walk down the hall until we're out of sight.

"I saw Tanner earlier." I say when we stop. He nods.

"Yeah." He's distracted, how can I blame him.

"Look." I wait until he's looking at me. "You couldn't have done anything else. How can you not get that? He was a killer. You did the same thing anyone would have done put in your shoes." I sigh and run my hand through my hair. "I know how it feels, to feel crushing guilt, that you should have just let it happen but that's not what anyone wants." I say. The thought of Greg's lifeless, pale corpse makes me feel sick.

"But-

"No. No buts. What about the team, they all came here to help you didn't they? They care Greg. I care." His eyes flick up to mine. "If I had been in that alley, if I had found one body, if I had sat with you while you had died- I stop, I will not cry. "That would have destroyed me." I mumble. He watches me. I know I probably look pathetic, and that is not the woman I am. I wipe the tears from my eyes. He hugs me.

"Thanks." The bell rings from the courtroom. "I better go." He says pointing down the corridor.

"Yeah same." I follow him down the hall and walk in front of him as the press gather round. He gets into the court without them getting any good photos and I follow him in, taking a seat in the back row.

The hearing goes on for a while. I don't really pay much attention, apart from when I notice that the second juror is an asshole. I'm watching Greg's reactions and the things he says and does and I only realise that Demetrius James' brother is shouting abuse at Greg and the judge is letting it happen.

"He has a right to speak." He's acting all superior to Greg's attorney and the smug look on Aaron's face drives me overboard.

"And so do I." I stand up, and all eyes turn on me. I ignore everyone and stare at the Judge.

"And you are?" He asks.

"Naomi Grissom, I was first on the scene." I explain. There are mutters of confusion. The judge silences them with a glare.

"But earlier, Detective Sofia Curtis stated that she was first on the scene." Everyone starts going through their notes. He thinks I'm a cop. Why do they always think I'm a cop?

"I'm not with the Las Vegas police department," I elaborate, "I'm a private investigator. I called the police when I say the bodies of three men lying in the alleyway." The judge's PA flicks through a report and nods at the judge.

"Right, so do you have something to say?" He asks. I nod. I have a hell of a lot to say.

I'm now stood in front of the court. They're all watching me, and if looks could kill the James camp would have murdered me four or five times over.

"The first time I met Mr Tanner and CSI Sanders they didn't look a thing like they do now. There was a lot of blood, bruises, broken bones and pain. Both Mr Tanner and CSI Sanders were beaten by a gang. Demetrius James was part of this gang and he was responsible for inflicting some of the injuries on Mr Tanner's body." I pause and look over at Greg. Cool, hard stare. "Mr Tanner has had irreparable damage to his body, his headaches will never go away, and Demetrius James has something to do with that." His mother stands and is screaming whatever profanities come to mind. The Judge lets it happen and I'm stood there while she calls me every name under the sun. When she eventually stops one of the jurors stands up. The asshole.

"I have a question, Miss Grissom, are you close to Greg Sanders?" He asks. Shoot.

"I guess that you could say that almost being beaten to death and then being found by another creates a friendship between the two." I say. He smirks at my answer.

"So, Mr Sanders is your friend. You could be lying to cover for him." He says. Aaron James nods.

"Shall I tell you what it was like? Walking down that alley, I didn't know what was going to happen. The minute I saw what had been done to Mr Sanders, I wanted to run to my car and never get out of it again."

"So why did you stay then?" The asshole smirks. He's feeling mighty smug right now.

"Because Mr-?"

"Sherman."

"Because Mr Sherman, I am a human being and the funny thing about being human is that you have compassion. Well mostly." I say smiling. He glares at me.

"My point was that whatever you say about what Greg Sanders did, that night, Demetrius James was willing to kill a man, seriously injure Mr Tanner and as part of a gang, attack an unarmed girl. He wasn't just a college student." I walk back to the back of the court and take my seat.

During the rest for the jury's decision my phone rings. Uncle Gil.

"You shouldn't have done that." He says. I sigh.

"Why the hell not?" I ask. There's no point in asking who told him Greg's attorney was on her phone the second the court adjourned.

"You'll make yourself a target." He says. I roll my eyes.

"Yeah, well I've survived this long without needing your help, I'm sure I'll be fine." I hang up as Greg walks towards me.

"You shouldn't have done that." He says. Déjà vu or what? I sigh.

"Look, what I did, I did it because that judge is biased, and there was no one fighting your corner. I just thought I'd help." I say. He shakes his head.

"Don't you get it; you'll be targeted by them." He nudges his head towards the press. I shrug.

"Big deal, they'll be over it by tomorrow when the story of tap dancing sea lion comes to prominence." I smile. He drags me by the hand down the hall and pushes me against the wall.

"Look, I don't want them targeting you, you don't need this. God damn it." He hits the wall next to me. I freeze for a moment.

"Greg, it's fine, I'm fine." I sooth. He looks back up at me. "It's you that we're all worrying about." The bell rings again and we're all walked back in. I sit at the back staring at Greg, it'll be fine.

"Have you come to a decision?" I don't even listen to the judge, to the speech about the jury, all I hear is that one word.

"Excusable." That is not the right word. It's better than unjustifiable, but it's still not right. I watch Greg breath out a sigh of relief and smile as the people start walking out. I follow them just as my phone buzzes.

1_ new message:_

_From: Uncle Gil_

_Message: Come to the station, I want to check you're okay. No arguments. G._

I smile, but then I come out of the court into the evening sunshine. The press are crowding round Greg, I'm about to make it over there when Tanner puts him arm around Greg's neck and proclaim him as a hero. The press lose interest the moment something positive is said and mill off. I walk up behind them and pull at Greg's arm.

"I'll take you up to the lab." I say. As we leave, Tanner winks at me, and my respect for him shoots through the roof. And me and Greg leave, we walk away from the courthouse with the James' and the Press and it's when he thanks me for coming, I know that he's forgiven me for fighting his corner.


	9. Chapter 8

**Hi people. I'm really busy at the moment so the hunter isn't high up there on my list of stuff to do. However, this may change if I get more reviews ;). Hopefully, you enjoy this chapter.**

I wake up on a couch. Again. This is so much like in San Francisco. I sit up and stretch, I'm in Greg's apartment and it's light. I rub my eyes and yawn when I notice Greg coming out of the kitchen with a cup of coffee.

"Morning sleepy head." He says. I smile sleepily.

"What time is it?" I ask. This god damn dress is uncomfortable, I need to go home and change.

"Half ten." He says. That is two days in a row that I have got up late. I pick up my phone, three missed calls and a voice message from Maddy.

"Hey, why aren't you in work. It's about that cop isn't it? Have you run off to get married? That's what Pete thinks, Nyssa wants to report you missing and Marty thinks you had a heavy night last night, anyways call me when you get the message." I get off the couch and fold up the blanket that Greg must have put over me last night.

"What is it?" He asks over the brim of his coffee cup.

"Work." I say and text Maddy.

_Give me 5. N _

"I can drop you in." Greg says, bless him.

"Nah its cool, I left my car here anyway." I say. He nods. I put my heels back on and wince.

"Are you alright?" He's put his coffee down and is looking at me as if I'm in desperate pain.

"Yeah, I hate heels. That's it really." I rub my eyes again and as I put my jacket on I turn back to him.

"Did you sleep okay?" I ask. He nods.

"Thanks for staying by the way." He says.

"Bye Greg." I walk down to my car, and he's stood in his doorway with his mug. I wave and get into my car. As I drive off down the road, I look in my mirror. He's still stood there in the door. I smile and turn the corner thinking of something I can tell my boss.

"NAOMI, TWO COPS HERE TO SEE YOU." It is now my lunch break, but I'm working through it. Maddy and Pete have gone on a lunch date, Marty is asleep and Nyssa is reading some gossip magazine.

"SEND THEM DOWN, THANKS NYS." I look up from the file I'm reading as two men walk through the door. One, the first has "STOKES" on his jacket while the other's says "BROWN". Stokes and Brown. I smile at the thought; they are a good crime fighting team, with an amazing set of names.

"Miss Grissom, I'm Nick Stokes, from the crime lab." He's from Texas, an accent that I have grown used to since my time in there. He's tall, with black hair and brown eyes, the wrinkles on his forehead and eyes suggests he smiles way too much.

"Warrick Brown." The other shakes my hand. Dark skin, which makes his green eyes stand out and the kind of afro everyone has wished to have at one point.

"Can I help you gentlemen?" I ask shaking Nick's hand.

"Yeah, we're here on the orders of Grissom." Warrick says. I raise my eyebrow.

"What?"

"Well, he says that you're wanting some time down on the range because of your job." Warrick says. I nod my head and bite my tongue. Uncle Gil will pay for this.

"Now?" I ask. Nick nods. I pick up my bag and jacket and walk down the hall to Marty's office. He's got his feet on the table asleep.

"This your boss?" Warrick asks. I nod and his sniggers. Nick smirks.

"I know right." I cross the room and shake Marty. "Hey, Sleeping Beauty." He sits up fast and jumps at the sight of the police vests.

"Grissom, what's going on?" He asks.

"Las Vegas Police Department." Warrick holds up his badge. "Miss Grissom, is coming with us for a while." He says. "She's not in trouble." I smile.

"See you later Marty." I follow the cops out of the building just as Maddy and Pete are walking back.

"Naomi, what's going on?" She asks. Pete's doing his macho face. I laugh.

"It's okay; I've been summoned by the high lord." I grin and Maddy laughs.

"Cool, see you later."

"So, you fired a gun before?" Warrick asks as he loads a pistol.

"Yeah, my uncle just wants to make sure I'm not rusty." I say. Nick smiles.

"That doesn't really surprise me." He says. "Okay, try and hit the middle of the target." I take the stance and hold the gun in my hand. Breath in and then out. I gently squeeze the trigger and take of my goggles. Warrick looks at me as if I've just invented breathing.

"Bullseye." He mumbles in disbelief.

"Bullshit!" I look closer at the target, sure enough, it's a bullseye. I smirk and turn back to them. "Well gentlemen, I guess, I don't need this. Thank you." I smile and Nick laughs.

"You haven't passed the can test." Warrick throws me a six pack which I catch.

"What?" I look from the beer to the two men. And then I realise.

Two hours later, me, Nick and Warrick have drank the six pack, and the cans are now on a fence.

"Okay, now shoot them off." Nick says. I load the gun, this is going to be harder now I've had two beers. Breath in, breath out. I shoot the first four, and Warrick shoots the rest.

"Teamwork!" I hi-five Warrick and Nick smiles.

"You did good Grissom." He says, "I'll tell your Uncle that you're fine." He says.

"Thanks." I shake both his and Warrick's hands. They seem like nice guys, and they gave me an excuse to bunk off work for a while.

When get home, my uncle hasn't left yet, which is weird. Even weirder, is a very familiar car in the driveway. I push open the front door expecting something strange, but not this strange. In the sitting room, on one couch is my Uncle Gil and Sara. On the other couch, is Ollie, Nate and Nate's mom Emily. I stand in the doorway and Ollie and Nate look up at me grinning. Emily gets up and hugs me.

"Nice to see you Naomi, have you got a boyfriend yet." I hug her back and suppress anger that everyone cares about really pointless things.

"Nope, how're you Emily?" I ask pulling away. Emily is one of the best women I have ever met. She lived in Frisco around the same time as me with Nate's Dad Toby, when Nate finally came out to them a few years ago, Toby wouldn't accept it. He thought that there was something wrong with Nate and tried to bully him into being straight. Emily, was amazing, she completely accepted it and told Nate that she 'kind of already knew'. When she'd done this Toby had issued an ultimatum. Emily was forced to choose between Nate and her husband. I was there when it happened, and it was one of my best girl power moments. Emily had just stood up really, really calm and told Nate's dad to: "Get the fuck out of my house, my life and never bother me and my son again." Before apologising to everyone else for the bad language.

"Fine thank you." She moves out of way, and I am sandwiched between Nate and Ollie.

"I missed you guys." I mumble and they say something like 'yeah same'. When the sandwich is disbanded my Uncle Gil looks at me expectantly.

"How was the range?" He asks. I smile.

"Good, Stokes and Brown are nice guys." I say grinning. He nods.

"Right, we need to go." He stands up and Sara follows.

"Bye Naomi." She waves and winks at me. I smile and raise my hand in return. When they've gone I turn back to Nate, Ollie and Emily.

"What the hell are you lot doing in Vegas?" I ask. Ollie and Nate raise their hands. Rings, right.

"We are getting married in Vegas!" Ollie announces.

"When?" I ask. This is a shock to the system.

"A week." Nate says. "Two days after your birthday." He says. My birthday? Last time I looked at the calendar, I was turning the big '30' in around six months. It is now a week away. Holy Mother of Jesus.

"You forgot about your birthday didn't you?" Ollie laughs.

"No, not really." I say trailing, I'm going to be thirty. This is not happening to me. Emily smiles.

"Trust me honey, it's not as bad as it seems." I smile at her and then look back to Nate and Ollie.

"A week?" I ask. That means I am thirty in five days. They nod.

"We're doing it like a fifty's style wedding." Nate explains. I nod.

"And so, you're going to have to play along." Ollie chimes in. I roll my eyes; I really shouldn't have agreed to do this. Nate pulls out a bag in which there is a dress. I hold my breath, but am pleasantly surprised. A red, polka dot sundress. I smile, it is a really nice dress, and it's in my size.

"You like it?"Ollie asks. I nod speechless.

"Try it on!" Emily squeals. I'm pushed into my room with the dress. I stand in front of the mirror and look at myself. Could be worse.

"You look amazing." I turn. They're all stood there staring at me.

"Thanks." I feel nice in this dress. One of those that instantly boosts your confidence. Nate takes a picture of me with Ollie and his mum and grins.

"Okay, so what are we doing for your party?"

"I personally think it's a good idea." Uncle Gil is finally in a good mood, now that Ollie and Nate and Emily have left he's obviously feeling better. He hates it when people invade his home. He's talking to Sara about something and she's been nodding and looking at me out of the corner of her eye as if she's been asked to tail me.

"Yeah, but..." She's cut off by the phone ringing. Uncle Gil gets up and goes into the kitchen to take the call.

"Ecklie, hi. No, I'm not busy."

Sara rounds on me.

"I was wondering, Gil wants to have a party for your thirtieth, when I say party, I mean he calls you into work, and we all clap and congratulate you on how long you've lived. How would you feel about that?" She asks. I bite my lip.

"Well." What can I say? No? "I was going to go out and get wasted." I run my fingers across my tattoo. This does not go unnoticed.

"It's got something to do with him doesn't it?" She asks. For some reason, I know Sara will not tell my Uncle.

"Yeah. Kind of a long story." I say. She nods. My Uncle has obviously filled her in on the whole dead parent's thing.

"It was Ecklie, he wanted to know something about a case we did a while ago." Uncle Gil walks back into the room and freezes awkwardly when he sees that there's some girl talk going on. "What's going on?" He asks.

"I was just finding out about some of the things you did before we met." She smiles and winks at me. Uncle Gil looks at me in mock horror. I laugh.

"It's okay; I missed out the whole eating a cockroach thing." He did, once, it was an accident. Probably. "Oops." I put my hand over my mouth and Sara looks at him in disgust.

"Wow, that is low. Even for you." She smirks and my Uncle settles on the couch next to her. He puts the TV on some kind of documentary about ants. I go and sit on my bed. I pull my box of family things out from underneath the bed. There are the pictures of my entire Mom's family; I'm sat on Uncle Gil's lap next to Grandma. I miss my Grandma, the last time I saw her she asked me when I was going to settle down and have children. I remember telling her that I wasn't, not for a while and her reply was one of the things that stuck with me for most of my life. "Don't leave it forever, because when you do, all the good ones will be gone. Don't leave it too late, or you may start too late and the one might just slip away." That was a piece of crap when I was twenty-four, and now I am almost thirty, I can see what she means. Her husband died when my Uncle was nine. She left it too late, because she didn't get to have all the time that she wanted with him.

I dig to the bottom of the box and find the necklace. Uncle Gil gave it to me on my seventeenth. It was that ring that mom always used to wear on a necklace. I undo the chain and slide it around my neck. I haven't worn this since her funeral, maybe it's time that I started. I brush my teeth and pull on my pyjamas before settling into my bed, the door slightly opens and Hank wanders in and jumps up onto my bed. He settles himself on my legs and I watch him scratch himself before he goes to sleep. Grandma was right, I do need to settle down, just not in my Uncle's house with a fat boxer dog.


	10. Chapter 9

**Hi everyone! Sorry I haven't updated for a while, I had the dreaded writer's block, but now I am back in the zone :P Thanks to all who have reviewed.**

**Insaneontheinside- Sorry, I'll explain myself. Grissom's mom is deaf. My thinking was that as Naomi has spent so much time around her, she'd be as used to the way that they communicate as when she speaks to people so it would be as if Grissom's mom was talking to her. Sorry, I couldn't think of any other way to describe it.**

**Anyways, enjoy**

* * *

There is someone watching me. I can feel the gaze of one or more on the mess that is my bed head. I open my eyes and hide under the canopy of my hair. This is not good. I slip my hand under my pillow in a subtle way that might be taken for someone shifting in their sleep. I can now hear breathing. Six people. Make that five, I can always tell the breathing of an old dog from that of people. I slide my hands back to somewhere where I can see them and take a deep breath. I sit up quickly in bed and point my gun at the freaked out faces of Nate, Ollie, Emily, Hank and the exhausted looking Uncle Gil and Sara.

"It's not my fault you're thirty." Nate says putting his hand on the gun. I lower it slowly.

"Sorry." I mumble. I've been super paranoid since Uncle Gil told me that I might get attention from the friends of Demetrius James and his supporters. I shove the gun into my bedside draw.

"Sorry, kinda killed it?" I say. Sara nods and smiles sardonically.

"Happy birthday!" Emily walks up to my bed and gives me a present. It's a picture frame, with a picture of me, Nate and Ollie on the beach.

"What happened to that bikini?" Nate asks Ollie when I show everyone.

"I gave it to the slut brigade." I say sticking out my tongue. I hated that bikini. They made me buy it. This was the day after Matt had been a dick for the hundredth time. They'd taken me to the beach to 'get you a man'. Instead, what they had got me was a jellyfish sting, sunburn and an ice cream. So it wasn't all negatives. I hug Emily.

"Thanks, it's beautiful." I love it. Truly. That was one of the few times I felt ridiculously happy. It was one of those moments I could have lived in. Sometimes, I've found you have these moments when they could have lasted forever, and you could have lived there, doing whatever, being eternally young forever. We look ridiculously happy in the picture. I'm stood in the middle of Nate and Ollie in the surf, and a massive wave has just hit the back of us. The picture was taken by a sweet old couple walking their dog that had crapped in front of us just after the picture was taken. I still remember the smell of the sea, and dog poop.

"Our turn!" Nate and Ollie thrust a parcel into my hands. It's a t-shirt. A printed t-shirt. Another picture of me, Nate and Ollie. It was a party a few weeks before I moved out. Their sat on a couple of chairs and I'm lying across them with a bottle of beer in my hand that I'm raising to the camera. And underneath there's the caption: Grissom's Bitches. I laugh so hard I almost cry. Sara smiles and nudges my Uncle when I show her the shirt.

"Hey, we should get one of those with a picture of you and Hodges. But we should shorten it to Grissom's Bitch." She giggles and my Uncle smirks, looking mildly amused. It's cute that they have this little in joke.

"My present." Uncle Gil drops a tiny brown paper bag into my lap. I pick it up and slide out the contents. My heart stops when I realise what it is. That box was sat in my Granma's house whenever I was there as a kid. I'd opened it one day, and had felt eternally guilty after Nana Grissom caught me. She wasn't mad. In fact it was the opposite; she wanted to tell me everything. I remember sitting at the table opposite her next to my Uncle Gil who was acting as a translator. I wasn't fluent in sign language at the age of six. It was my Granma's, Granma's and was my mom's, but mom had left it at Nana's house because she didn't want to lose it. One day, when I was all grown up it would be mine. I had waited for that day for years, even as a teenager I would look at the box longingly and Nana would sign to me that I'd get it one day.

I open the box and slip out the silver locket. I knew exactly what was engraved on the other side.

_E,_

_I would not wish any companion in the world but you._

_J_

Apparently my Great-Grandfather was not only a sucker for being cheesy, but also Shakespeare. I pull the locket around my neck and do it up.

"Thank you." I crawl across my bed and hug my Uncle.

"I think you're all grown up now." He whispers in my ear and I laugh, tears in my eyes. I will now have to Skype Nana and thank her.

"Well, my present is going to look crap in comparison." Sara says. I pull away from my Uncle.

"Oh God, Sara, you didn't have to." I say. She shakes her hand around and I know that means that she felt like she did. A torch, like the police issue ones. The ones that they use at the lab. It's engraved. N Grissom.

"Just in case you end up down another alley." She says looking at her feet. I smile and hug her. She seems surprised, freezing the moment I touch her. She laughs nervously and hugs me back.

"Thank you, all of you." I say crawling back under the covers. "Now I need to sleep." I say.

"You do know that it's quarter to nine now don't you?" My Uncle laughs as I push everyone out of my room and run into the bathroom.

* * *

Nyssa's beaming as I walk into work.

"Your admirer's struck again." She says as she hands me my mail. I look up from the letter about car insurance.

"What?"

"You'll see." She smirks. "Just, hide them before Maddy gets here." She says. "Oh, and happy birthday." She pushes a small homemade cake across the table.

"Awww, Nys, thanks." I hug her over the table. I have had more than my quota of hugs today. I walk down the hall with my cake and my post when that smell hits me. Freesias. They're unmistakeable. I walk through the door of my office and see them, a bunch of flowers put into a vase by Nyssa. A load of Freesias. I open the card that is sat on the desk next to them.

_As promised, this time there are no sunflowers._

_Happy Birthday_

_G._

I smile and put the flowers on the top of my file cabinet and have just sat down when Pete walks in.

"Nice flowers." He says. "But they are not as good as my present." He pulls a plastic Spiderman figure from out of his bag and puts it on the table. "This way, you've always got me looking over you." He winks.

"Wow that is not stalkerish." I say. He laughs.

"Yeah well. Happy birthday Grissom." He yells as he leaves the room. I smile and load my laptop. Before I even have time to do any work, Maddy bounces in.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" She puts a present down on my desk. I open it.

"A cocktail glass?" I ask. She nods.

"Yup, that is a hint that tonight you need to gather your home-boys and girls and head out!" She's more excited than I am.

"Maddy, this is my thirtieth." I say. She nods.

"Yeah, you're not a spinster yet!" She walks out of the room then spins and knocks on the side of it. "Text people. Nico's, half seven. Dress code, whatever." Before I have a chance to argue she wanders off down the hall. "Wear a dress Grissom!" And she's gone. I text people.

To: Nate, Ollie, Em, Uncle Gil, Sara, Greg, Maddy, Pete, Marty, Nyssa

Message: So, I'm 30 now people. I know that some of you will have to work tonight but if not Nico's, 7:30. N xxx

When it's finished I look up to see Marty stood in the door.

"Happy birthday!" He says and hands over an envelope. I open it and my eyes almost burst open with the size of the check on the inside. He puts a finger on his lips.

"Birthday bonus." He smiles.

"Thank you." I say, not for the first time today. Finally when everyone has come into my office, I have some time to work.

* * *

I get to Nico's with Maddy at half seven. As we walk through the bar she waves at the people working there and a couple of the regulars.

"How do you know everyone here?" I ask. She smiles.

"Worked here a while ago. Nico!" She runs to the bar and hugs the guy on the other side. They chat for a bit, and then she buys two beers. As I turn back to the rest of the room I see Greg walking through the door.

"Greg! Over here!" I wave at him and he comes towards me and Maddy.

"Hey, happy birthday." He says. I hug him and then pull away from him when a thought enters my head.

"Don't you have work?" I ask. He nods.

"Yeah, in half an hour, so I'm on cola." He says. I feel touched that he would bother to come out for half an hour.

"Pete!" Maddy spies Spiderman on the way through the door and runs off towards him. I turn back to Greg after waving to Pete.

"Thanks for the freesias." I say. "They're beautiful."

"Yeah well, I don't know what else to get you." He says.

"GRISSOM!" Nate and Ollie coming storming across the bar and simultaneously attack hug me.

"Hey guys." They get off of me and spot Greg.

"Who is this?" Ollie asks with a voice full of suggestion.

"Oh, this is Greg. Greg, meet Nate and Ollie." I say. He shakes their hands and while Ollie's drilling him on whether or not we're dating Nate turns to me.

"So, for Saturday, we were thinking that mom will stay with me, and you and Ollie will go over to yours so that you lot can get ready together." He looks so excited. I feel overwhelming hope for both him and Ollie.

"Yeah sounds good."

"What does?" Ollie and Greg are now back in the conversation and Greg's looking at me confused.

"Oh, actually I was going to ask you." I say. Ollie raises his eyebrow and pulls Nate away to make friends with Maddy and Pete. "They're getting married at one of the chapels. You know the Elvis ones. I need a plus one, and I thought you could come, because I'm not taking Maddy. Or Pete. Or my uncle." I take a sip of my drink and Greg nods.

"Yeah, sounds good. What time should I come get you?" He asks.

"Well the ceremony starts at half two so you should get her at half one." Ollie pokes his head into the conversation. "And you'll need to wear a suit." He says grinning as he picks up another beer.

"The suits not a problem." I say to Ollie and his eyebrows go up so high, I think for a moment that they might get lost in his hairline. "I mean he owns a suit." I say rolling my eyes. Ollie grins and wanders back over to the group of people that has now formed. I lean against the bar and watch them, the group of friends that I now have in Vegas.

"Do you ever miss people that you move away from?" Greg's now leaning next to me and is watching as Maddy plays pool with Emily.

"Every day. Well most of them." I think about all of them. Even the bastards. The ones who made my life in a certain place hell. But mostly, I like to push them to the back of my mind. I wonder if I will miss these people, the Vegas gang, when I leave next time.

"Why don't you just stop?" Greg asks. I look at him quizzically.

"Stop what?" I ask.

"Stop leaving, that way, you meet less people and miss less people." He stares dead ahead where Maddy has now finished her game of pool and is now making out with Pete.

"I find it hard to stop leaving. If I leave, all of the stuff that could hurt me gets further and further away, and I'm less likely to get hurt." I don't know why I'm telling him this. Maybe because I trust him, or because I'm drinking, or because I am now thirty and should be mature.

"Nothing will hurt you." He seems certain. I laugh.

"How do you know?" I ask.

"Because you have your Uncle, and Nate and Ollie love you, and... You've got me." He takes a drink out of his glass of cola and then puts it on the table. I turn to look at him. He turns and looks at me and then grins. "Well I still owe you for not leaving me in that alley." He says. I laugh and order the second in a long line of drinks.


	11. Chapter 10

_I'm not gonna write you a love song  
'cause you asked for it  
'cause you need one, you-_

"Hello?" Some joker has changed my ring tone. Again. My head is pounding. Really pounding. That is what you get for getting wasted two days in a row.

"Naomi, oh my god! Get up! I'm stood at the front door!" Ollie is yelling down the phone at me and I am still in bed in my underwear. I get up and pull a big sweater over myself and walk up to the front door.

"What time is it?" I ask when Ollie has dragged me inside and closed the door.

"One! Jesus, your Uncle said that you were up!" He pushes me down the hall into my bedroom. "Don't wash your hair." I shower quickly and walk out into my bedroom and pull open the dress bag. I pull on the sundress and put on some make up so I don't look as tired as I feel. Ollie walks in just as I'm doing my hair.

"Well you scrub up well." I say gesturing to the suit with the hand that isn't holding my hair curlers.

"Thanks, you too." The doorbell rings as I'm halfway through my hair.

"That'll be Greg." Ollie says. I look at the clock.

"How is it half one already?" I ask. Time seems to fly when you're having fun, or when you're getting ready for a wedding. I can hear Ollie and Greg talking down the hall. I finish my hair quickly and walk down the hall to find them both stood there. Ollie's looking in the shoe cupboard and Greg is leaning against the wall watching him.

"Ollie, what the hell are you doing?" I ask. They both turn around as if they've been caught eating candy when they weren't supposed to be.

"Looking for your shoes." He says. I pull out the heels from behind my back.

"They're here." I drop them on the floor and step into them. I hate heels, but Ollie insisted. "Hey Greg." He's still stood against the wall, looking like he's done something wrong.

"Hey, you look beautiful." He goes slightly pink. I bite my lip forcing myself not to laugh at how cute he just made himself look.

"Thank you. You look very handsome." I reply before shooting daggers at Ollie who's laughing in the background.

"It's only because I'm jealous." He says walking off into the kitchen to call someone. There's almost an awkward silence between us for a moment before my phone rings, and it's Emily.

"Okay, so Nate's saying that he's going crazy because he doesn't know where the party is going to be afterwards. I don't know either." She sounds panicked. Nate's obviously turned into a Bride-groom-zilla.

"It's okay, I know where we can go." She thanks me some more, and then I hang up. The last time I came to Vegas, I found myself in a bar all night. In this bar I met the nicest barman ever, and I poured my heart out to him about how fucked up my life was, and how it still is. This barman has subsequently become quite a good friend and a contact in Vegas.

"Hello Rocio's Bar, how can I help?" He still sounds the same.

"Rock, Grissom. I'm gonna need your help."

* * *

We spend another few minutes running around like crazies, and then finally we're all ready. We get in a taxi at quarter past two. We get to the chapel at exactly half two.

"I'll see you guys later." Greg goes off to take his seat inside the chapel and I turn to Ollie smiling feeling that any minute now I will scream with laughter. Hysterical excitement. There's nothing better and nothing worse.

"Ready?" I ask. He's gone pale, deathly pale.

"I don't know." He says swallowing. He's got cold feet and the wedding starts in three seconds. As best maid of honour, it is my job to calm him down. I lean against the car that Nate and Em came in.

"Do you remember the time that you realised you were in love with Nate?" I ask. He nods and runs a hand through his dark hair fidgeting.

"Yeah, but-

"It was amazing wasn't it, like the whole sky was so much bigger than it felt before, and the colours were so much brighter and the people nicer." I straighten his tie. "You and Nate are made for each other. Everyone can see that. You have so much in common, you'd do anything for each other, Emily loves you to pieces and more importantly Nate loves you." I say. "The minute you walk in there it will all be fine." I say. He nods.

"I'm gonna miss you." He says. I raise an eyebrow.

"I'm not gonna leave you two. I'm still going to be your awkward third wheel," I laugh and nudge his shoulder, "and you two are still my bitches."

"NAOMI, THEY NEED YOU!" Emily looks frantic as she sticks her head out of the door. I run towards the chapel door as fast as I can in these ridiculous heels. The song kicks in. An Elvis love song. Can't help falling in love. I take my cue and start walking down the aisle in this dress that belongs on a stage production of Grease and a bunch of white roses.

_Wise men say only fools rush in_

The room is empty, apart for some fat guy dressed as Elvis and Greg on the second row.

_But I can't help falling in love with you._

Our eyes meet as I look up from my bouquet and he smiles at me a massive grin that tells me that Greg is in one of those moments that you never want to leave, and I am in one as well. The moment when I realised that out of everyone I had ever met in any city across the whole of this stupid, messed up world Greg is the only one who has ever really been my best friend. Nate and Ollie are brilliant, but Greg is Greg. After a couple more bars of the song I'm almost at the end of the aisle. Nate, Emily and Ollie are behind me now, but I don't see them, all I see is Greg smiling at me, and all I can hear is that damn song and all I feel is euphoria at how great this moment is. But it ends, and when it does, Greg and Emily sit down, and I stand to the side of Nate and Ollie and the Elvis impersonator starts to marry them, and throws in some 'thank you very much's'. I can feel someone watching me. I turn my head slightly and Greg is watching me. I smile and that same smile appears on his face. Emily winks from next to him and I can feel my face going the same colour as my dress. I zone out right until the end.

"Nathan Spencer, do you take Oliver Miller to be your partner for as long as you shall both live."

"I do."

"And Oliver Mille-

"Yup, I do." I smirk at Ollie's impatience and Nate rolls his eyes.

"You are now legally a couple." They kiss and I clap, dropping my flowers to the ground. Emily and Greg stand up to, and once Nate and Ollie break apart I jump in between them and I am in the middle of a sandwich hug. We hold onto each other like it's the end of the world and I realise that I'm almost crying. I back out so Emily can see her son. I run my fingers under my eyes in a furious attempt to get rid of the tears. I feel a hand on my back and Greg is stood behind me.

"Wow you're really good at hiding the fact that you're madly in love with either Nate or Ollie." He says handing me a tissue. I shoot him a look but accept it gratefully and try hard not to smudge my makeup.

"I'm happy for them." I say. "Ever since they got together in Frisco they've been talking about getting married. I didn't think they would but now they have. It's just nice." I say as I run my hand through my hair. My phones buzzes and I pull it out quickly.

_1 New Message:_

_From: Rocio_

_Message: Hey, we're all ready _

I reply with something along the lines of great just as Emily starts throwing confetti around. We all emerge from the chapel with hair full of confetti and with wedding photos in our hands about fifteen minutes later after Elvis has morphed from the king of rock into a grumpy old man who wants us out so he can make cash from that couple that look blatantly under age that are walking into the chapel in jeans college sweaters. Nate turns to the rest of the group.

"So, what now?" He asks. I grin.

"Oh come on, I got that sorted already."

* * *

I have never loved Rocio more than today. He's closed down the entire bar. It's for us five and his family who live in the rooms above the bar. His wife, sister, brother-in-law and a pile of cousins. Nate and Ollie almost die of happiness when they see the "Just Married" banner across the top of the bar and the amount of alcohol that they can get for free. Rocio's set out a load of tables and his wife has cooked a load of Mexican food. This is Nate and Ollie's wedding party. We all sit around the tables like it's a big family meal and as everyone's eating I stand up from my chair.

"Hi, sorry. I'd like to make a toast." Nate and Ollie look at me from the across the table. "You guys," I point at them, "I never thought you'd do it, but hey, as usually you proved me wrong. Nate, Ollie, you helped me through a part of my life that was... hard to put it mildly and without you two I know that I'd be screwed, probably living with some loser in a crappy relationship. But you saved me and now I'm free to carry on doing what I've always wanted to do. I know you'll stay together forever and I promise I'll call you sometimes." All of Rocio's family are smiling at me as if my words are ridiculously touching. They don't understand what it means; only Nate and Ollie get it. "To the happy couple." I say.

"The happy couple." Every raises their glasses and then drink down their poison of choice. We eat more and the conversation carries on. Finally after the meals done me and Em help Rock's wife clear the dishes and when we come back into the room Nate and Ollie are at the juke box choosing a first dance song. I walk to the bar and get another drink.

"Rock." I call him from the other end of the bar. "How much is it, like five hundred?" I ask. He shakes his head.

"It's nothing." He says raising his hand to get me to put away the cash that I'm trying to get into the register. "Not for you. You've still got the job; I'll call on you if I need the services of a PI." He says. Some music starts and across the room Nate and Ollie are dancing, after a while some of Rock's family form couples and glide around Nate and Ollie. I smile at how happy they are.

"Just take two fifty?" I say. He shakes his head and I sigh and feign slapping him round the head. He laughs and walks away.

"So are you still crying?" Greg appears at my side with a drink in his hand. He's just come back from dancing with Em who's appeared to have taken a shine to him.

"Nah, I'm over it." I say laughing. I down my drink and lean back against the bar.

"Was it that Matt guy?" Greg asks. I look at him and raise my eyebrow. "You know your speech."

"Oh yeah, he was a douchebag." I say. The song ends and they go back over to the juke box to choose another song.

"Thanks for coming today by the way." I say. He shrugs.

"I got nothing else to do." He says. I feign offense.

"Oh, so you only hang around with me because you're bored." I say. He shakes his as if he couldn't deny it anymore.

"No! I'd make time to hang around with you if I worked twenty three hours a day." He says. I smile. I can feel myself going slightly pink as I realise what he's saying. Ollie yells at me across the room, but I can't hear what he's saying over the familiar guitar chords. I laugh into my drink and Greg looks at me.

"What?" He asks.

"Long story." I answer as Iris by the Goo Goo Dolls plays out of the juke box. "It's kind of my song. Because I'm Naomi _Iris_ Grissom." I say. He nods. Nate and Ollie are waving me over to dance. I shake my head.

"You wanna dance?" Greg asks. I turn to look at him and raise my eyebrow.

"You can dance?" I ask, for some reason in my head the words 'Greg' and 'Dance' never, ever go together.

"Oh hell yeah!" He says. "I've lived in Vegas for a while now." He says. I laugh.

"Fine." We walk out into the section the bar that's being used as the dance floor. He puts his arm around my waist and I put my hand on his shoulder. As it happens, Greg can dance. Which honestly surprises me. He laughs at the look of surprise on my face.

"Come on, I am a brilliant dancer." He says.

"I guess so." I say teasing him. "Maybe a six and a half." I say smirking. He gives a mock scowl and we laugh. The song doesn't seem to end for a long time and after that song, and the next, the next and the next few after that we keep dancing. And then we drink and then dance some more and when I next look at the clock on the wall it's one in the morning. The song that was playing finishes and I suddenly have the best idea ever.

"Shall we go get milkshake?" I ask. Greg looks confused but nods anyway.

* * *

**Okay, so I went a bit crazy on songs there. Sorry, I couldn't help it. **

**DISCLAIMER: Love Song belongs to Sara Bareilles, Can't help falling in love obviously belongs to Elvis and Iris belongs to the Goo Goo Dolls.**

**Hope you enjoyed it :)**


	12. Chapter 11

**Hi everyone, massive apologies for posting the same chapter twice. I didn't check for the first time ever and it all went tits up. Sorry :(**

* * *

We walk through the shopping mall until we get to the fast food restaurant close to the end. After saying goodbye to Nate and Ollie we've walked through the streets playing the favourite things game.

Favourite movie of all time, obviously To Kill a Mocking Bird. Favourite Movie Series, Pirates of The Caribbean. Favourite Song, Under Pressure by Queen and David Bowie. While we're discussing these random things I see something out of the corner of my eye that I have to do.

"Oh my god!" I start pulling Greg through the empty shopping centre up to the photo booth.

"What? Naomi, just a photo booth." He says after I've ducked under the curtain and am now sat on the chair digging around in my purse for some coins. For a long time I've gone into photo booths with the people that I've met in various different cities and I've had a load of pictures taken and then I've put them into photo albums. I do this with all of the people that have been good friends so I don't forget them when I leave. I roll my eyes and pull him into the booth.

"You are way too drunk." He says laughing.

"Sit on the god damn seat." I say shoving him into it. He falls onto it and I sit perch on his lap. He looks at me as if I've just thrown up all over his suit. "What?" I ask putting the money into the slot.

"So what is this?" He asks.

"Just a thing I do whenever I move to a new city, all of my closest friends and me do it. So feel honoured." I say sticking out my tongue. He smiles.

"I am, incredibly." He says, so sincerely that I have no choice but to believe him. The first picture is about to take.

"Okay, so number one fat face?" I ask. He's turning to look at me, but I'm already puffing my cheeks full of air and looking at the camera with wide eyes. He laughs.

"Oh right, so this is you being a moron." He says. I nod.

"Pretty much." Picture two, we decide on fish lips with the same wide eyes as fat face. One more picture to go.

"Three pictures, what the fuck kind of rip off is this?" I ask glaring at the screen. Greg laughs quietly next to me. "Okay what shall we do for the last one?" I ask turning to him, bur Greg isn't looking at me as if this as if it's a joke anymore. This look is more serious as if shit is going to go down. He looks me straight in the eyes before his own flicker down to my chin.

"What do I have food on my face?" I ask rubbing at my chin with my fingertips. He smiles and pulls the hand away gently and slowly. And then shit gets real. I only realise what's happening when I feel the pressure of his lips on mine and I can feel the heat coming off of him. I freeze. I am completely petrified. The kiss lasts around ten seconds and then Greg realises that I have turned into a statue. I feel like I've looked into the eyes of Medusa and now I am forever trapped in this stone casket. He pulls away quickly and averts his eyes from my direction. I snap out of whatever I'm in and suddenly feel like an utter bitch. He's obviously embarrassed by my rejection, if that's what it was. All I could remember was feeling far too conscious of the rules I had laid out for myself after the Matt incident and by Greg kissing me I have broken the biggest rule. No emotions, no love, no romance no nothing.

"Sorry." He says awkwardly. The box in which we are now sat in feels even smaller and I feel that I am far too close to him. I stand up.

"No, Greg I'm sorry. It's just I try not to... I'm in a weird place right now and I can't really get myself into anything..." I say as we exit the box.

"Yeah I get it." He's now sounding pissed. More pissed at himself than anything else. He's giving me the cold shoulder, and even though I know it's because he's just pushing me away so he can hide his embarrassment. I pick up the pictures from the dispenser. My heart drops at the last picture. I hold them out to him.

"Do you want them?" I ask. He shakes his head and looks away so he doesn't have to look at the moment that I turned him down.

"You keep 'em." He says and looks at his wrist. "Actually, I gotta get home, I've got work later. Bye Naomi." He turns and walks away leaving me feeling bewildered in the middle of a shopping mall in the middle of the night. And they say chivalry is dead.

* * *

When I get home, I go straight to bed. I leave my dress as a pile on the floor and leave on my underwear. I don't feel like a shower and I just want to sleep to get this day over and done with. I toss and turn for around an hour and when I look up at the clock it's three in the morning. I can't sleep, there's no way I will sleep. Not after what's happened today. Instead, I get up and creep out my room. I walk into the kitchen in my underwear, my bare feet padding along the ground. Hank looks up at the sound of my footsteps and by the time the ice cream is out of the freezer and there's a big spoon in my hand he's looking up at me from the ground. I sit on the work surfaces and take a massive spoon.

"You're lucky Hank." I say looking down at him, "you don't ever have to think about your feelings. To you it's just having a baby." Right now I wish I was this dog. "You don't ever have to make rules for yourself and then question them when something happens." I take another spoon of ice cream and consider what I've said. Do I now doubt my rules? Yes. Definitely. Do I doubt myself? Yes. What Greg did today totally flustered me. Despite my negative response, I liked it. A lot. And a large part of me is kicking myself for not eating his face off. But the rest of me knows that I can't afford to get attached to anything or anyone. I'll be gone soon and then I will have managed to hurt myself and Greg. That's what angers me the most. All I can think of is Greg. The way he looked when I first met him, the trial, the wedding, and the kiss. All of these moments, all of the emotions I felt. Were they worth it? Really? I thought about the things I had been through since Matt. I had turned into a recluse for weeks because of how hurt I was. I could barely eat, barely sleep.

"I wish I was you." I mutter looking down at Hank. He's my captive audience, staring up at me as if he cared for nothing more than the things I felt and thought. In reality, he cared about the ice cream in my hand. "Fine." I dig out a big spoon and give it to him, laying the spoon on the floor. He licked up all of it. I watched him for a while my fingers brushing idly over my tattoo. This was why I couldn't let anything happen between me and Greg, because those who you love the most will always be your downfall. There's a quiet knock on the door, quiet but insistent. I sigh and jump off of the counter.

"Yeah I'm coming." I hiss as I scrabble to find the keys. I unlock the door and open it to find Greg stood on the doorstep in his forensics jacket and a look of shock on his face as he looks me up and down.

"Greg?" I ask, and then I remember that I'm practically naked. "SHIT!" I grab the nearest item of clothing I can find. It's uncle Gil's heavy winter jacket, which luckily goes past my butt. I run my hand through my hair and as I turn back to him. "Can I help?" I ask.

"Naomi, what's going on?" Uncle Gil has emerged from his room and has seen me stood at the door revealing a lot of leg to Greg.

"Grissom, we've been called in." He says looking to my Uncle. "You weren't answering your phone so I was sent to get you." He says.

"Right, I'll go get dressed." My Uncle turns on his heel to go back into his room. I'm stood in front of Greg with a now hollow feeling in my stomach. My mind is screaming.

_He kissed me. He did earlier, and it wasn't because he was pissed. Maybe._

"So, you didn't tell me you were on call." I say wrapping my arms around my chest in order to stop any more wardrobe malfunctions, or rather brain malfunctions.

"I didn't think it mattered." He says.

"I wouldn't have asked you to come if you were working, your job's more important than a wedding." I say. He pulls his phone out of his pocket and stares at the screen intensely.

"No. It was fun." He says. He puts his phone back in his pocket and looks up at me. My heart leaps in my chest and at this moment I know that I am desperately in love with him.

"Look Greg, about earlie-

"Right I'm ready, I've called Sara and she says she'll be a bit later than us lot." My Uncle has successfully blundered straight into the middle of my declarations. He pauses when he realises that he's crashed a conversation. "You ready?" He asks looking at Greg who nods once curtly. My Uncle passes me and they walk off down the drive.

"Bye." I call into the darkness as I stand in the doorway watching them leave, the hollowness from stomach creeps into my chest as I watch them leave. I close the door once the car has driven away and I take off the jacket and slip it back onto the coat stand and lean my head against the door breathing slowly. I turned to go back to bed walking past a frantic Sara who yelled out a "night" as I settled back under my covers.

* * *

The same morning at half nine, I am stood outside my office, leaning against my car looking at the picture again. The kiss. I hate myself for freezing up and it's all I can think about. I slept for three hours last night, but it doesn't matter. I am wired on the new found things I have realised.

"So you are dating him!" Maddy is stood in front of me holding a coffee cup from the Starbuck's across the street. I shove the picture into my pocket. I shake my head.

"No, I'm not." I say. She nods.

"Right." She looks at me questioningly. "So, what you doing at work on a Sunday of all days?" She asks.

"Well I could as you the same thing." I say. She smirks as if she's glad she's out done me.

"I'm not in work, officially. Me and Pete met up for coffee, and we're going to the movies later." She explains. I laugh.

"So you are dating him!" She looks up from her coffee shyly.

"Yeah, I guess we are." This is the first time I have seen her look awkward. "I really like him though, so I wanna take it really slow." She's serious deadly serious. She might even be in love with him. My hand that is wrapped around the picture reminds me of how lucky she is. "Anyway, I need to go get something out of my office. See you later." She says. I wave as I watch her disappear into the office.

"Grissom, what you doing here?" Pete asks just as I'm about to get into my car.

"Hey." I hug him and smile. "So, you and Mads, eh?" I ask. He nods.

"Well I hope so; I've really liked her for ages." He says. I nod and I'm about to tell him that I knew already when my office explodes.


	13. Chapter 12

I have been in three situations when I have thought that the world was operating in slow motion. The first was when I found out my mother was dead, the second when I found out that my step father was dead. And the third happened as I pulled myself off of the ground and found that my office was gone.

It takes me a while to realise what's happened. I'm lying next to my car. Pete's next to me, he looks alive, which is at least a good sign. I shift over to check he's okay when I feel a shooting pain in my hand. I've put my palm right into a shard of glass, and not just a small one. I swear as I pull it out. Pete's sat up talking to me.

"Wha?" There's a ringing noise in my ears and everything is dimmed. I feel like I'm underwater.

"YOU OKAY?" Pete yells. I nod. I'm fine, I think. We stand up using each other as support and turn to look at the office. Now I can hear again. People are screaming everywhere and running. A kid's stood on the side walk on the other side of the road screaming while people run past him. I turn to look at the office. I feel Pete's grip of my arm tighten as he sees it too. Without my car I would be dead. The explosion has destroyed the building, there's rubble everywhere. For a moment I feel like I'm in a film. Those movies you watched in history class about the Second World War. The effects on places in Germany that had been bombed. The destruction. I'm in a bomb site.

"Holy shit." I mutter and then Pete grabs me.

"Naomi, Maddy's in there." And then my whole world falls apart. Again, my hearing fails and I can feel myself slipping, but I pull myself up. I have to, there is no other alternative.

"We gotta get her out." I say and run towards the rubble. Pete's beside me and we pull at the stones as hard as we can to get Maddy out. The minute the cops get here they'll pull us away. They won't look for Maddy until everyone on the street is okay, and by that time Maddy will be dead. Unless...

We both know that the cops will stop us and that pushes us on. My hands are hurting more than they ever have before. They're bleeding and are torn to shit. But I don't care. Neither does Pete, until we get Maddy out, we won't care about anything else.

"Ma'am come back, it's still dangerous." The cops have arrived. I blocked out the sirens, but now they're here and I am forced to ignore them.

"Ma'am." The woman sounds nice, concerned. She sounds a hell of a lot like the woman I spoke to on the phone the day I found Greg. I ignore all of the cops and then they drag in the heavies. A man puts his hand on my shoulder trying to pull me away. I push him away and he falls to the ground. I continue digging as I look over at Pete. There's solid determination in his eyes as he digs for Maddy. One single tear falls from his eye and I feel the same. I won't stop, they'll kill me first. Another officer comes up and now there are two of them pulling me away. I fight them as hard as I can, but they're too strong. I scream at them.

"SHE'S STILL IN THERE, STOP! SHE'S STILL IN THERE. FUCKING GET OFF ME! YOU BASTARDS, SHE'LL DIE. PETE HURRY." I'm blinded by tears but I can tell Pete is still digging and faster. More officers surround me. I fight them all; an angry snarl breaks from me. I'm an animal. But I don't care, I have to get Maddy. I become all limbs, kicking and screaming profanities. Finally they get bored of my fighting. Pete's been taken now, I can hear him screaming for Maddy. I join him and like wolves we call for the rest of our pack.

"MADDY! MADDY! MADS." They get bored of our screaming. I still can't see. The tears are heavier and all I can feel is anger and pain and sadness. Maddy flashes before my eyes and all I can do is weep. They push me onto the ground. I can feel my cheek scraping the sidewalk and blood trickles down from my forehead. I blink the tears away furiously.

"Maddy." I whisper. And then I see it. The pale arm that is sticking out from the rubble. I vomit, spewing my guts into the road. My vision goes dark as I hear a cop yell something about an arm and Pete scream her name. The only thing I can hear is Maddy's voice.

_Anyway, I need to go get something out of my office. See you later._

* * *

When I wake up I'm on a couch. I forget what's happened until I smell my vomit and blood and the coffee that I landed in. I sit up to find I'm in my uncle's office. Now I can hear people walking around outside. I stand up and separate the blinds slightly. The lab seems to be acting as normally as it usually does. I sit on the edge of the couch shaking. I remember Pete's cries, Maddy's face, and the smell of blood. The screaming. I furiously palm my eyes to avoid the tears. It doesn't help. I descend into weeping and then angry screaming. The door opens and my uncle walks in and looks at me pityingly.

"SHE DIDN'T FUCKING DESERVE IT! ANYONE BUT MADDY." I fall towards him and he hugs me against his chest trying to quieten me. I feel like I did when my mom died. Empty, numb but angry beyond belief. After I am quietened down he sits me back down on the couch.

"I know, I know what happened was wrong and bad. They need to talk to you about it." He says. "They say that you assaulted a police officer." I stand up, furious.

"ASSUALTED A FUCKING OFFICER. MY FRIEND IS DEAD AND THEY WANT TO TALK TO ME ABOUT SOME FUCKING COP WHO'S NOT EVEN GOOD ENOUGH TO LICK THE SHIT OFF OF MY SHOES!" I scream at him. It's not his fault, I know it's not but it feels good to take it out on someone.

"Naomi, just go and get yourself cleaned up. Sara brought some clothes from home." He hands me a bag and guides me down the hall to the washrooms. People stare at me as I walk passed. I feel the urge to tell them to bite me, but I feel too weak now. We meet Sara outside the ladies.

"Hey." She rubs my shoulder comfortingly. "I know that it's not helpful in anyway, but I'm sorry." She says. I nod.

"Yeah, thanks." She follows me into the washroom. She hovers around me as I brush my teeth. Then she stands a respectful distance away as I shower and wash the filth off of my body. I still feel dirty even when I'm done. She stands behind me as I brush my hair and retrieves my hairbrush when I throw it across the room because I'm frustrated.

"They're bringing Pete up soon." She says as she brushes my hair. I watch her in the mirror. I can see why my uncle likes her; she's got an honest face, like she'll always tell you how it is. "I think that you need to be there for him." She says. I nod as I double over the sink, more tears forming. She strokes my back comfortingly. "I think you know that out of both of you, Pete will be the one that's hurting most. He's going to need you." She says. I nod again.

"Thank you." I whisper my voice is full of tears. She shrugs.

"You've still got to talk to Ecklie."

* * *

"So you pushed him?" Ecklie asks kindly. I'm sat in the interrogation room next to my Uncle and opposite Ecklie who's next to the guy that I pushed. He's looking smug, like he's told the teacher on me.

"Yeah." I say looking up from my hands that are knotted on the table.

"Did you mean to hurt him?" Ecklie asks. I look up at him surprised. I know what he's doing. He's prompting me, leading me into answering the question providing me with a reason that I pushed the smug bastard sat next to him.

"No, I just wanted to reach... her." I say. Ecklie nods as if satisfied. I feel a surge of love towards this man.

"I think we're done here then. Officer Fielding, I don't think that Miss Grissom wanted to harm you; she was determined to help her friend. I'm sure that you can put yourself in her position." He says standing. I take my cue and stand as well. My Uncle puts his hand on my shoulder and starts to wheel me out of the room.

"Wait, she attacked me. That bitch attacked me and she gets away with it?" He asks. I turn and walk towards him slowly. He backs away slightly as if he's scared off me.

"Naomi." My Uncle is imploring me not to kick the shit out of this son of a bitch.

"It's okay." I say and I walk up to him so that I can properly look him in the eyes. "Today, I watched my office go up in flames, I watched my friend die. I watched her boyfriend try to get to her. I will never see her again and the fact that I wasn't the one in that office will eat me for the rest of my life. Honestly Officer Fielding, I think you got off pretty light." I say and turn back to my uncle. I turn in the doorway and look back at him. "I pity you, you know that. You must be an incredibly sad and low achieving person, because you want praise and compensation for doing your job. Thank you Mr Ecklie." I say turning to the lab director as my Uncle takes me away from them and back to his office.

* * *

Pete turns up twenty minutes later. He's not hurt, physically. He's pale as hell and looks as though he's shell shocked. He envelopes me into a hug the moment he's close enough. He smells like sweat and pain.

"Hey Pete." I say as we pull away from each other. He doesn't even respond, he just fixes me with a stare full of hurt.

"Mr Parker?" Doc Robbins is stood in front of us. I've met him once before. He seems like a sweet old guy.

"Yeah." I answer for Pete.

"Are you ready to see the body?" He asks. Pete's hand tightens on my wrist.

"Yes." I answer. We follow him into the elevator and down the hall into the morgue. The smell of death is everywhere and it makes my hairs stand on end. We hold onto each other, Pete and I as Doc Robbins pulls out the tray with the blanket covering it. Maddy's body is under there. The moment I realise that I feel sick. Then I remember what Sara said. I have to be strong for my friend. I hold Pete's hand as the Doc peels back the blanket. She's not that mashed up. There are bruises all over her face, but she's not disfigured.

"I'll leave you two for a moment." The Doc walks off behind the doors. I can feel my Uncle's stare on my back from behind the doors. I stroke her face, from her hairline to her chin, and then Pete collapses. He falls to the ground and rocks back and forth. Their heads are level, Pete and Maddy. I crouch down and hold him. We sit there for a while, Pete grieving and me being strong until he utters the words that break me.

"But I loved her." He whispers them over and over again and gets louder until he's shouting at the cold, hard steel of the walls. He loved her, and she was taken away. I hold him tighter and he weeps. I look up from him to Maddy's cold, pale skin. She looks kind of peaceful. I hold Pete until he's done crying. I pull him to his feet and we both walk away from Maddy keeping each other up. I whisper a final silent goodbye to her, and then we are gone.


	14. Chapter 13

It's raining outside my car. Heavy, buckets of water are hammering down onto my car with a tremendous force. I look through the wind shield to the house that I'm parked across the road from. I shouldn't be here, not after what I've done. But I can't help it. I don't want to be alone. I get out of my car and now I'm stood in the rare Vegas rain. I lock my car and walk across the street. It's quiet and dark. There's no one around but me and the rain. I walk up to the front door and pause for a moment still unsure as to whether I should ring the bell. My hair is now soaked, and the water is dripping down my back. Finally I bite the bullet and ring the doorbell. I don't even bother to stand under the shelter, the rain is good. It makes me feel numb, which is better than feeling anything right now. I can hear movement from inside, and I feel the urge to turn and run away, I stop myself though and the door opens. A rectangle of light falls onto me. I look up at him guiltily.

"I know I was a bitch, but right now, I really need a friend." I say. He nods quickly and holds the door open wider.

"I'm not pissed if that's what you think." Greg answers as he closes the door. I stand on the mat and look around the house. It was messier last time I saw it. He turns to look at me properly. "Did you go swimming or something?" He asks. I shake my head.

"No umbrella." I answer. I realise I'm not a particularly good conversationist right now but honestly I don't really care.

"Okay, you go have a shower and leave your clothes outside and I'll put them in the dryer, you can wear something of mine." He says. He's being so sweet and kind after I acted like a total cow to him.

"Thank you." I say and I follow him down the hall to the en suite bathroom next to his room. He leaves me to it and I take off my sopping clothes and dump them in a heap on the floor, minus my underwear which I put in a separate pile of the floor of the bathroom. I turn the shower on as hot as it'll go and I stand under it for a while until I almost burn. I get out and stand there with a towel wrapped round my shoulders. All I can think of is Pete and the way he cried for Maddy, I wondered if anyone would cry for me like that if I died. Somehow I doubted it. I put my underwear back on and poked my head around the bathroom door. Greg had left some clothes on his bed a pair of shorts and a t shirt. I pull them on and sit on the corner of his bed rubbing my hair with a towel drying to get it slightly dry, but my heart isn't in it.

When I get to the kitchen Greg's stood with his back to me on the phone.

"Yeah, I just thought you should know. I won't come in tonight. She needs someone to keep an eye on her. Sure, I'll look after her. Okay, thanks Grissom, I'll come in tomorrow morning and help if you've got a case that you need to solve. Okay, night." He spots me stood in the doorway. I'd completely forgotten he needed to work.

"Oh god, you've got work. I can go home-

"No. Grissom gave me the night off." He says plainly. "You want some pizza?" He asks. I nod and walk into the kitchen. I grab a piece of pizza and lean against the counter opposite him.

"So, what you been up to?" I ask. He shrugs.

"Not a lot. Work. Have Nate and Ollie gone back to Frisco yet?" He asks. I honestly don't know, I haven't seen them since last night. Last night. It feels a million years ago.

"What about you?" He asks as he tilts his head to one side quizzically.

"Not much, explosion, the usual." I say. He nods solemnly. I hate how this feels. This awkwardness between us. I have to say something, but I can't. I eat the rest of my pizza in silence and then wash my hands in the sink.

"I'm gonna watch some TV, you can go to bed if you want to." He says.

"Where?" I ask. He smiles, the first time I've seen him smile since the wedding.

"In my bed, I'm taking the couch." He says. I shake my head.

"No, you're taking your bed, I'm taking the couch. So I guess I'm watching TV too." Before he can argue, I'm sat next to him on the couch. He puts on the news or something. I sit next to him for a while, determined not to sit to close. After a while, I pull my feet up onto the couch and tuck them under each other. I put my head on his shoulder. He shifts slightly as if he's shocked. I just sit there and watch the TV. After a while he relaxes and puts his arm around my shoulder, and we're both sat there watching some news reporter going on about how amazing it is that they found some person with a parrot that can sing. After a while I can feel my eyes starting to close, I fight it for a while, but eventually there's nothing I can do.

* * *

When I open my eyes I'm in my office. I know that this is wrong, for some reason I can feel that something isn't right, but I can't put my finger on it. I walk away from my desk towards the door, which is closed. This is wrong as well because I never close the door of my office. When I open it she's stood there, just like she was earlier. Bruises covering her pale skin. She's watching me as if I'm to blame for what happened. Maybe I am.

"Mads, I'm sorry, I should've been the one to go in there." I say. She nods silently. Suddenly Pete appears at her side. He doesn't look like normal Pete. His skin is pale and his eyes dark.

"You should have gone in." He says. "I loved Maddy, but I didn't love you, no one does. No one would miss you." He hisses. I shake my head; people would miss me, my uncle. Gil is stood in the doorway looking in at me. He too is deathly pale, and his eyes are no longer blue, but black.

"I wouldn't miss you. Why do I care, you're just my sister's accident. I wish that she was still here and that you were gone." As he's speaking Nate and Ollie walk in.

"We wish you were gone too. You gave us nothing but trouble, and we didn't even like you, Matt was right about you." Right on cue pale Matt walks in. His dark hair and eyes stand out from his porcelain skin and now I am terrified.

"You're a useless bitch. You know that, no one likes you, no one wants you around. You're just a stupid cow." He starts taking steps towards me; I back as far as I can against my desk. I look at the group in the doorway. I notice that Greg is now stood there. I scream for help as Matt pushes me to the ground, but they all just stand watching. There's a blood thirsty look in their eyes. They follow Matt and all lay their hands on me, pushing me into the ground. I scream and fight, but they're still holding me. I'm trapped. I fight indignantly until they disappear from sight. I open my eyes to find I'm in someone else's bed. I'm tangled in a sheet; I angrily pull myself out of it and sit with my back to the door. The tears start coming like the thick drops of rain that are still falling outside. I jump out of my skin when I feel a hand on my shoulder. I start crying harder. I should have been the one in that building when it exploded. They were right. A pair of arms envelope me. I'm pulled to his chest and I cry into his shoulder. The dream is still so real. I'm shaking I can feel my hands going mental. I hold them up and try to stop them shaking. The hands close over my hands and stops them shaking. I cry into Greg's shoulder a bit more, and then he pulls me down until I'm lying under the covers. He lies next to me holding me as I cry. Eventually I stop and I can feel myself going under again. I should feel petrified of another dream but I know I'm fine, the smell of Blue Hawaiian tells me that much.

* * *

The thing about my Uncle's house is that he keeps it Arctic. Therefore, when I wake up each morning, I am usually freezing. I realised that I wasn't in my Uncle's house the moment I wake up feeling warm. I open my eyes to find my head on his chest. I peek up at him not daring to move much. He looks peaceful a bit like Maddy did in the morgue. I take a deep breath and try not to think about it. His hair's messed up from sleeping. I try to pull myself up away from him, but he starts to stir as I move. His arm is clamped around my waist, with his hand on my back keeping me close to him. I think of ways I can move him without waking him up when the phone rings. It's not on the table closest to me; it's on the other side of Greg. I lean across him and grab the phone and pull it up to my ear. He stirs as I sit up and pulls his arm away from my back. I feel so embarrassed; I can't even look at him.

"Naomi, you alright?" It's my Uncle, he sounds exhausted.

"Yeah, I'm fine, I guess." I say I pull my knees up to my chin and sit with the phone to my ear. I can still feel Greg lying next to me, very close.

"I know." He says. There's a pause for a moment. "Anyway, just checking that you were okay." He says. This isn't the real reason he's calling, not all of it anyway, I can tell. "Oh and can you tell Greg that if he wants to come in anytime then that would be really useful." I drum my fingers on my bare legs.

"You haven't got anything have you?" I ask bitterly. He pauses and then exhales.

"No, no we don't, not really." He says. "But we've told Maddy's family." He says.

"How're they taking it?" I ask. I don't know a lot about her family, only that they were Las Vegans.

"Not too well." He says. I nod. That's not a surprise.

"Right, well I'll tell him that, see you later." I say.

"Bye." He hangs up and I'm forced to put the phone down and sit next to Greg. I don't look at him for a moment. What can I say to him? And then I realise an important thing I need to ask.

"Greg, last night, we didn't, did we?" I ask refusing to look at him.

"No." He answers plainly. Now I finally feel that I can turn and look at him.

"I didn't think so." I say spinning to look at him. He smiles. He's sat with his back against the bed stead watching me.

"What were you dreaming about?" He asks looking at me concerned.

"Maddy and the bomb." I say as I rub my eyes to avoid the tears that seem to come whenever I think of her now.

"Hey." He crawls across the bed and hugs me again. But I don't cry this time; I wrap my arms around his neck and let him hold me.

"This is such I mess." I say and he laughs.

"Yeah, it seems to me that messes follow you." I smile.

"Well you're a mess and you won't stop following me." I say.

"Too true." He says after a while I sigh and pull away from him. I don't want to though.

"You need to get ready for work; my Uncle would kill me if you didn't get there in time." He gets up and crosses the room. I watch him leave, but just as he gets to the door I stop him.

"Greg." He turns and comes back, quickly, like he's determined. He comes to the edge of the bed that I'm sat on and puts a hand under my chin, guiding my face up to his. When he kisses me, it's different to the first time. It's hungrier, like he has to do this. I put my hands in his hair bringing him closer to me. After a while, he pulls away. I frown like a kid and he laughs at me.

"You're Uncle would kill you." He says as he wanders off towards the kitchen.

* * *

I call Nate and Ollie while we're in the car on the way back to my Uncle's house. I've had message after message asking me what's happened. They know about the bomb, they know I was there, they don't know what's happened to me though. Emily picks up the phone.

"Thank the lord, the boys are worried sick." She says.

"I know, tell them I'm really sorry I didn't call earlier Em, there was just... lots of stuff going on." I say. Greg holds my hand across the seat, intertwining our fingers.

"Well, obviously. If you need anything I'm sure the boys will want you to call them." She says.

"Yeah, thanks Em. Look I gotta go, but tell them I'll call back." I say. She mutters some condolences and puts the phone down. I sigh and lean my head against the window.

"Hey, it's gonna be fine." Greg says. I turn to look at him.

"Yeah, maybe." I can't help but think that it might not be fine. We pull up outside my Uncle's house. I lean over the seat and kiss him quickly. "Thanks." I say as I get out of the car.

"Naomi." I sit my head back through the window and his kisses me again. "I'll be right back." He says.

"Yeah, I know. Bye." He drives off and I watch him until the car disappears. I turn and walk towards the house. After I unlock it, I lean against the door for a while. I still can't believe what's happened. I dump my keys in the key bowl and hang up my coat. Something feels wrong. Hank's nowhere to be seen. I walk further into the house looking around. I'm stood in the doorway to the living room when I get hid over the head. I hit the floor and as my consciousness bleeds away I see someone's foot and then I'm gone.


	15. Chapter 14

My head is throbbing like a bitch. I raise my head and look around, my head's still swimming slightly, but it's getting better. I must be concussed. I move my head too far to the left and pain shoots through my head. I try to bring my hands up to my head, but I can't. They're tied at the back. I'm tied to a chair. I look around desperately looking for someone, anyone. I'm in a dusty shed like room. The sun cutting through the dust suggests its late evening. I've been out all day. It's probably a shack in the middle of nowhere. My attention is grabbed by a blinking red light right in front of me. There's a camera. I peer towards it and then hear the voice that makes my blood run cold.

"So, you see Doctor Grissom, I have your niece and you're going to watch her die." I start fidgeting in my chair, trying desperately to untie myself. "No point Miss Grissom." I glare up at him. He looks different. Older, and showing it. He's dirty, with longish unwashed hair and he hasn't shaved for about a week.

"What are you doing Damien?" I ask trying to keep my voice bored and hollow. It's not working. There's a shake that is far too audible.

"Oh, it's first names now, I think what I'm doing Naomi is obvious." He says. He's got a gun, and smallish one, in fact, it's my gun.

"This is ridiculous, the whole thing happened nine years ago." I say. I'm failing to sound relaxed.

"Revenge, as they say is a dish best served cold."

The last time I saw Damien I was twenty-one. It was in Chicago. I was just becoming a PI and I was hired by a construction firm to find out who was stealing money from the office. Large amounts, into the thousands. I'd eventually got Damien. He'd stolen all of the money. It was my first case, I should have been proud of it, but my one regret was that Damien two kids had to watch him getting arrested. I'd left Chicago the next day and had never gone back.

"You see," he says sitting on a chair next to the camera, "you ruined my life. I lost my job, my wife and my kids. I lost everything." He's getting angrier by the minute, I breathe as slowly as possible. "Because of you, a stupid bitch." He walks up to me and hits me, hard around the face. I fight the urge to recoil and I sit there and take it.

"I didn't ruin your life, you ruined it." I hiss. Now I'm angry. "You stole the money, you live with the consequences. He walks right up to me and pushes the gun into my face, the end of hit resting on the tip of my nose. He pauses for a moment and then turns and sits back down into his seat.

"I haven't seen Kim for nine years. The minute I got arrested, she didn't care." He says. "I was in love with her. I mean really in love with her. I miss her all the time." He looks up from me, away from his rant. "What about you, are you in love with anyone?" All I can think about is playing the game, stalling as long as possible.

"Yeah, I think so." I say finally. He doesn't seem impressed with my answer. "What's the camera?" I ask. He smiles and gets up walking towards it as if he's proud of it.

"Oh this, I thought I would repay the favour." He says. "Do you remember when you made my children watch their Daddy be dragged away?" He asks, spitting venom at me, I bow my head. "Well, I thought seeing as you made them suffer, I'd make your family suffer." He says grinning. I emailed the link to your Uncle. He's watching live. I sent him the footage of the explosion as well. It's very touching watching you scream for your friend." My stomach drops.

"That was you?" I ask. He chuckles as if he's glad I've realised his genius.

"Yeah, did you like it? I mean obviously, you were supposed to be in it, but I think that this is more fun, don't you?" He asks pointing at the camera. I follow his gaze.

"So, he's watching it right now, how do you know?" I ask. He smirks.

"I get a notification when the links opened. Your Uncle's seeing this. Actually..." He trails off and walks towards me with the gun in his hand pushing it against the base of my skull. "Say hello." He hisses. I shake my head.

"I'm not doing anything you say. You're a fucking deluded bastard, and the last thing I'm going to do, is do what you tell me." The cold circle of metal presses harder into my skin. It's starting to hurt now. I must be bruised. I have an image of Doc Robbins stood over my body, explaining to my Uncle what killed me, describing the bruising, suggesting where they came from and I feel weak.

"Hi." I mumble facing away from the camera, trying as hard as possible not to look at it. He sighs.

"It wasn't as entertaining as I hoped, but it'll do." He looks at me hard in the eyes. "I hope that this hurts as much as it hurt my family." He says raising the gun.

"Bite me motherfucker." I scream at him, furious. If he had come and taken everything away six months ago, six years ago, I wouldn't have cared, but now, I have too much to lose. I have my new relationship with my Uncle, a few friends and Greg. But right now, I can't think about losing him without the insides of my stomach feeling like they're being eaten by tiny mice. He laughs.

"I have waited, nine years to do this." He points the gun straight at my face, but allows space for the camera to catch the last few moments of my pathetic existence. He takes the safety off the gun and I stare him straight in the eyes, I want him to watch me die, I want the image of my face to be the thing that lingers in his mind forever. He takes a deep breath and exhales slowly. I can feel tears in my eyes, but I'm not scared, because I am with all of the people I love in my memory. I expect the gunshot, but instead the unthinkable happens.

"Las Vegas Police Department, Sir, put the gun down!" I look to see Nick and Brass stood near Damien, guns in hand. Somehow, I feel more scared now. Damien suddenly looks frantic that he might not get away with it. He pulls me up off of the chair, slicing through the rope and pulling me to my feet. He holds me tightly against him and points the gun in my face. I'm staring into the faces of the last people I will ever see. When I look deeper into the room, it's not just Nick and Brass that are pointing a gun at Damien. Warrick is stood on Nick's right, with Catherine next to him. Sara's behind her and my uncle is stood next to her. My mouth catches in my throat. My uncle hates guns, and here he is pointing one at the guy who is trying to kill me. For once in my life, I realise that he might not wish I was my mom. Stood next to him is the last person I want to be here right now. If this goes wrong, I don't want him to have been here. He's holding onto the gun as if it's the only thing that is keeping him alive right now. I look straight at him and keep my eyes fixed on him. If I die right now, I want to be looking at him. He grips the gun tighter and stares determinedly at Damien.

"Put the gun down sir." Nick says again. I feel the metal of the gun pressing into my cheek.

"No, officer, you don't know what she did to me. This bitch deserves to die." He says taking off the safety again. I stare straight at my Uncle Gil.

"It's okay." I reassure them, its fine. Really I do deserve it. I screwed up, I ruined his life.

"I will ask you to put the gun down one more time, and then you will have no more chances." Nick says. I can tell from the look on all of their faces that they're worried. A cornered animal freaks out, and then acts impulsively. This could end badly.

"Bye bye." He says. I hear a gunshot, someone shouts something and I fall to the ground. I look at my hands, covered in blood, I can smell it everywhere. I'm surprised I'm not dead, I must have been hit. I turn to look for Damien, and then I see the mess that his now his face. He's blown his own jaw off, and the blood that covers me is his. I scream pushing myself away from his body. Two sets of arms pull me off the ground and someone picks me up. I can tell from the smell of coffee who it is. I cry into Greg's shoulder and wrap my arms around his neck. He says something to me about how I'm okay, but I can't hear him. It's like when Maddy died, only yesterday, but it feels like a lifetime ago. I'm outside now, next to a car. Greg puts me on the ground and I finally look at him properly. He looks pale, just like Pete did.

"You okay?" He asks. I shake my head, and push my lips to his as if the world is about to end. He holds me close to him, kind of like Damien did before he blew his head off. I push the image from my mind and think of nothing but Greg. As he hugs me, I look over his shoulder. My Uncle's stood in the doorway of the shack looking at me in a not entirely disapproving way. He smiles and raises his hand. I smile back and hug myself closer to Greg.

"Don't ever leave me alone in my house again." I say. He laughs.

"Promise."

Finally cleaned up, I'm sat in my uncle's office filling out some witness statement form. It's around half nine. I am tired. More tired than I can even say. I sigh and rest my head on my hand as I look down at the form. Honestly, I don't care about what happened there. I don't really want to think about it.

"Knock, knock." Greg is stood in the doorway looking happier than he did earlier. Also in a new t shirt and smells like soap instead of Damien's blood.

"Hey. You been sent to check up on me?" I ask. He shakes his head and leans across the desk and kisses me again. I raise my eyebrow as he pulls away. "Do you think that my Uncle would approve?" I ask. He smiles mischievously.

"Well, for the record, he doesn't." Greg looks petrified and spins around to find my Uncle stood in the doorway.

"Hi Uncle Gil." I say smiling.

"Naomi, are you ready to go home, Greg said he'd take you." He says. I nod.

"Yeah. Thanks Uncle Gil." I cross the room and hug him. It obviously takes him by surprise as he freezes for a moment and then hugs me back.

"No problem." He says. "I'll be home later on to keep an eye on you." He says as he leaves. Greg turns to me.

"You ready?" He asks. I pick up my jacket and shake my head.

"No, I wanna see him, one last time." I say. Greg looks at me as if I've gone insane.

"Your Uncle won't want you to." He says. "Let alone me show you." He says.

"He doesn't have to know." I say evenly. He looks as if in internal turmoil but eventually nods.

"Fine, but if your Uncle finds out, you forced me to." I nod and follow him through the lab, suddenly feeling less sure of what I want to do.

He looks like hell. Worse than hell. And it's my fault. I can feel tears welling up in my eyes thinking of the way his daughter cried when the cops dragged him away. I wipe my eye and Greg looks at from the other side of the table.

"What was it?" He asks.

"First ever job. I was so keen to impress that I didn't think properly. I screwed up and it ruined his life." I say. He shakes his head.

"I don't think that's what really happened." He says. I shrug.

"Maybe not, but that's how it feels." He pushes the body back into the freezer and holds my hand.

"It won't feel like that in a while." He says. "I won't let it." We walk to the elevator together, hand in hand and for once, I think I believe someone when they tell me that it will get better.


	16. Chapter 16

**Hi Everyone. I'm ridiculously sorry that I haven't posted in a long time. I got the dreaded writer's block and then a computer safety thingy has blocked the fanfiction website on my computer, so this chapter is being put up by my friend Hobbsy3. Please check her out, she writes brilliant stories and I would definitely recommend them. **

**Be warned: this is the penultimate chapter of the story, so savour it J**

It's Friday night, and yet again, I'm sat at Rocio's bar with Emily. She still hasn't gone back to Frisco, but hey, I'm not going to stop her. She's the only one who I can go out with on Friday nights now. Pete's still in hospital. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder they're saying. Everyone thinks it's really strange that I'm not reacting badly, and they keep tip toeing around me like I'm going to break any minute. The truth is, I am reacting badly, but I wouldn't let anyone know. Not even Greg. I wait until he goes out to cry and rip up pillows like the incredible hulk. Every morning when he comes back from work I'm terrified that he'll work out that the pillow is different from yesterday. My credit card bill is suffering too, and the shop assistant I always get served by now knows me by name. But hey, life goes on and the people I know don't have enough money to pay for me to go on a retreat in California. Em studies me as we sit next to each other. Neither of us is drinking today. Something which I'm glad about seeing as I need to drive later.

"Something's wrong isn't it." She says staring straight at me. I stare into my soda for a moment and then look up at her and shake my head. I'm not convincing anyone, I can feel my eyes are full of tears. "Oh honey!" She hugs me over my drink and I try really hard not to cry.

"What's wrong? Is it Greg? Has he hit you?" She asks, she looks so worried, and I feel evil when I laugh at her.

"Greg? No. No. Hell no." I say wiping my eyes.

"What's wrong then?" She asks. I pause while I watch her for a moment. I should tell someone. Otherwise people will freak out, but if I tell her then she could cause a freak out. I bite the bullet.

"Em, I'm leaving Vegas." I say suddenly feeling a lot better. She looks at me with her eyebrows raised.

"When?" She asks. I look at my phone, I'm going to Los Angeles, and so it should take around five hours, four tops. It's now nine pm.

"Nowish." I admit. She gasps and puts her hand over her mouth.

"You know how I am Em." I say putting my hand on her shoulder. "I'm ridiculous, I just think that it's time to move on, you know." I say.

"What about you're Uncle?" She asks. I sigh and run my thumb over my tattoo.

"He'll survive. I'll call him when I get to Angeles." I say smiling. "You know I'll be fine."

"What about Greg?" She asks. I feel my body stiffen and try to relax.

"He's young, He'll get over it." I say draining my soda. "Rock!" I call him over. As he walks towards me on the other side of the bar I can feel Emily's eyes burning into the back of my neck.

"You want a refill?" He asks. I shake my head and slides two twenties across the bar.

"Listen Rock, I'm leaving town again." I say and he rolls his eyes.

"God Grissom, what are we going to do with you?" He asks. "Look after yourself and give us a call when you get wherever you're going." He says.

"I will. Thanks Rock." I hug him over the bar and turn back to Em.

"I'm going to call your Uncle." She says. I nod.

"I know, look after yourself Em, and give Nate and Ollie my love." I say. I kiss her on the cheek and walk towards the bar. I pause at the door just long enough to see her put her phone back in her pocket after considering calling my Uncle. I smile and close the door on Rocio's bar, and on the life I had in Vegas.

I stop at that coffee place where I came just under nine months ago. The kid who served me last time is stood there looking bored as hell again. I smirk as I spot the glimmer of recognition in his eyes. I buy a latte off of him instead of an espresso and walk back to the car. This time, I know that I won't be buying another coffee off of him. I won't be in Vegas ever again. I can feel a wave of sadness coming over me, so I jam the radio on. It's some country song that I leave on loud as I start to drive out of Vegas. On the strip, my phone starts to go mental. First a text from Em.

_1 New Message_

_From: Emily_

_Sorry honey_

Followed by nine missed calls from my Uncle Gil and six from Greg, and surprisingly three from Brass. I shove the phone onto the seat next to me and turn up the radio even louder. The station's now playing Jet, "Are you gonna be my girl". This is one of my favourite songs, but this is just ruining everything. I'm eventually weeping. I feel like such a dick. I slam the radio off just as I'm off the strip and grab my phone off of the chair next to me. Uncle Gil's caller ID is flashing up on the screen.

"H-hello?" I sniff holding the phone to my ear while I stare into the black highway. The cars are separating out now, and I feel more alone.

"Naomi, where are you?" His voice is cool and controlled as I try not to sob.

"I'm on the road." I say wiping my eyes with the back of my hand and moving my hair out of my eyes.

"Which road? Greg's coming to pick you up." He says.

"No, no. Uncle Gil. I've gotta move on." I mumble into the phone. "I don't want Greg to come get me; I don't want anyone to come get me. I'm okay." I say. I can hear him talking to the people in the background.

"Naomi?" Greg's voice comes to the phone, he sounds just like he did the first time we met. He sounds terrified and hurt. I sob as I hear his voice and feel the car swerving out of control. I panic, and draw up slowly to the edge of the road. There's no one around now. I'm so far gone from Vegas, but I can still see it glittering in the distance.

"Greg. I'm really sorry." I say.

"Where are you?" He asks sounding more like Uncle Gil. "I'm coming to get you, how far away are you on the road to LA?" He asks. Emily really has kept nothing secret. I feel like I should hate her, but what could I expect.

"Greg, it doesn't matter where I am." I say trying to sound more controlled. There's still a shake in my voice but it's better than nothing. "I need to leave Vegas, you know how it is. I just need to move on." I say trying to take on the 'I'm breaking up with you' tone.

"But, why? Naomi, I can change, if it's me, just say something." He says. I can feel myself starting to cry. I take a deep breath and pull the phone away from my ear.

"Greg, it's not you. I need to leave. I don't know why, I just have to." I say. "I've got to go Greg. Bye." I put the phone down, but I can still hear him yelling at me to keep me on the phone. I roll down the window and drop the phone out onto the tarmac and then keep driving. I settle into the journey slightly and get back into the swing of driving. There are hardly any cars, and for most of the time I'm alone. About half an hour after the start of my journey the car lurches.

"Shit." I hiss as I wheel the car pathetically onto the side of the road. It stops on the edge of the road and I look at the dash board. No gas. That is so fucking predictable. The minute I need to go anywhere, the car has no gas. I hit the steering wheel with my hands angrily. I could have called for help at this point, but of course I had the brilliant idea of dropping my phone in the road. This was one of the best plans I ever made. I was going to leave Vegas, go back home to LA and go back home, to the house where I was raised as a child. It was a brilliant house then, and I still own it now, I just never really want to stay there for any length of time after the things that happened there. But now...

I rest my head against the seat and think. There'll be cars coming through in the morning. I can flag down a car that looks non-threatening and then I can get back into Vegas to get help without anyone knowing I came back. I see the lights of a car hit the road near me and feel jealous. Just another person making their way to LA, some person who wasn't stupid enough to leave without any gas. I panic as I realise that the car isn't going past me. I glance in the mirror to see that it's stopped behind me, and a guy has got out of it. A guy who is now walking towards my car. My heart starts going mental and I slam my hand onto the lock. I feel calmer that the whole of the car is now more secure, I slip my hand into my purse and pull it onto my lap so that I have my gun close by. I sit back in my seat trying to look calm so that I can give him the whole speech about how my boyfriend's on the way and loads of people know I'm here, so if he tries to do anything, people will know that I'm missing. I can see him in my peripheral vision stood next to the window.

"Naomi, open the door." I jump out of my skin at seeing him stood there. Greg really did drive all the way out here to find me. Without thinking I unlock the car door and then realise my mistake. He opens the door and I sit in the front seat, arms folded across my chest. I reach across and slam the door and face ahead again, my hands on the steering. He sighs and walks as if he's going to get back in his car. I almost breathe a sigh of relief and feel tears rushing to my eyes. I rub them away furiously. The passenger door opens and he gets in, angling his body towards me. I can see him out of the corner of my eyes. I ignore him and desperately scan the horizon. He's doing his puppy dog eyes, there is now way I will be able to ignore him.

"Naomi." He says as if he's waiting for me to look at him. Not going to happen. I cough and fluff my hair so it covers my eyes.

"Why are you going to LA? What's wrong? Was it me?" He asks his voice sounds as broken as I know he will look if I look at him. I grab my purse and get out of the car and walk away from the car towards, nothing... I hear Greg out of the car behind me and I start to walk slightly faster.

"OH YEAH, THAT'S A REALLY SENSIBLE WAY OF DOING THINGS." He yells at me from somewhere near the car. I start to stomp slightly just to show him so pissed off I am. "YOU ARE SO GODDAM CHILDISH!" He adds as if it'll make me feel any better. An angry laugh rips from my throat and I turn back to him, my hair sticking to the tears that are now forming mini lakes on my cheeks.

"OH WELL, I'M SO GLAD YOU FEEL THAT WAY!" I pull it out of my purse and throw it at him. I know it's a pathetic throw that I would normally feel embarrassed about. I watch him pick it up before I stomp off again into the darkness. I have no idea where I think I'm going but I might as well try to work it out. But at the back of my mind a thought niggles. I can't help but wonder how he's taking it. And is also wonder if this means that my road trip has come to an end. I turn back to see what's going on to see him now leaning against the front of my car holding onto it like he'll die if he lets go. I'm in two minds for two and half seconds, before I wander back towards him. He only realises I've come back after I'm close enough to count his eyelashes. That can't be a good sign.

"I know right." I say leaning against the car next to him. Our shoulders are barely touching but I can feel him shaking. He looks up slowly; I have never seen him more scared.

"I don't get it; you were going to leave because of this?" He asks, holding up the pregnancy test, which states that I, Naomi Iris Grissom am with child.

"Yeah, that was the plan." I say tucking my hair behind my ear.

"But was it me?" He asks. I smile and slap him lightly on the arm.

"No. Greg, I'm leaving because I don't want to ruin your life." I say. He looks at me disbelievingly.

"You think this is going to ruin my life? This is... crazy, but amazing." He says.

"Honestly, I think it's a nightmare." I say looking out into the darkness I was wandering into earlier. "I don't have a stable job, you're on a cop's wage, we're young, I don't actually own a house, this is Vegas and I have nothing apart from what's in the car." I say. He stares at the ground.

"Did you think I'd be a bad father? He asks. I try to stifle a laugh, but don't manage. "What?" He asks looking offended.

"Greg," I look him straight in the eyes, "out of everyone I have ever known, you are one of the only ones I think would make a brilliant father." I say. "I left, because I didn't want to dump this on you, on anyone, because let's face it. We're kind of screwed now." I say. I put my head on his shoulder and he relaxes slightly.

"Nah, it's okay, we'll make it." He reaches for my hand and I realise that even pondering leaving Vegas was a stupid. We sit there on the bonnet of my car for a while looking out into the horizon. The stars are exceptionally bright tonight, and in the distance, Orion glistens overhead, but not as strongly as before.


	17. Epilogue

It still doesn't feel real to me. I put on the dress Ollie has bullied me into buying. White, sixties style, covered in black dots. Surprisingly good at hiding things. I brush my hair, and then let Em come in and fuss over my hair until she seems satisfied. For a while, I'm left alone with my thoughts and Hank, who hasn't left my room. Well, I say my room, this will be the last time I will sleep in it. I look at my pathetic bed, which was made up last night for me ready for today. I can't move off my chair because I'll crinkle the dress, but I spin slightly so I can look around the entire room. I look back into the mirror in front of me just as the door opens. Uncle Gil stands there looking at me in the mirror.

"Hey." I say watching him.

"You look beautiful." He says smiling and I stand up slowly and give him a joking twirl ending in a curtsey.

"You don't look to bad either." I say gesturing at him. He's even brought out a suit he's never worn before. That will be Sara's doing.

"Your mother would be so-

"Yeah I know, she'd be so proud of me and all that. You don't have to say it just because that's what people would expect you to say." I say, but I can feel myself tearing up. This is wrong without Mom. She should be here, but she's not. I turn away from Uncle Gil and try my hardest not to cry. I feel like that kid again that was stood on the doorstep screaming at the bearer of bad news. He hugs me awkwardly as I try to compose myself.

"I know you won't want me to say this, but your Mom would be so proud of you, not just because you're getting married, because that's not a reason to be proud of someone. She would be proud of you, because you are a brilliant person. And the fact that she had something to do with making you who you are would have made her the world's proudest mother." He says. I step away from his hug and smile.

"Thanks Uncle Gil." I say. He looks at his watch.

"Anyway, I came in here to get you. It's time to go."

I hold my breath for the entire car journey. Am I nervous? No that would be stupid. I am ready to do this. I should have done something in my life by now. The only thing I'm worried about now is the little person who I've been carrying around for a couple of weeks now. Greg wants to name it something ridiculous. But that isn't surprising. I'll be damned if they get a stupid name. I am after all their mother. That still feels weird to me.

The car stops and Uncle Gil looks at me.

"You ready?" He asks. I take a deep breath and nod. We get out of the car into the blinding sun and murderous heat. Nate and Ollie stand outside bouncing with excitement. They are my best maids. I'm glad I could repay the favour.

"Honey, you look like a movie star!" Em says the minute she gets a proper look at my outfit. Yeah, like a fat movie star, and you never find one of them. I smile and thank her. She eventually bustles in. Em, Nate and Ollie were the last people to arrive.

"We'll go check that everything's ready." Ollie says pulling Nate into the building. I pull down my veil, hold my bouquet a lot tighter and face my Uncle. We've been through a lot, and I know that there is no way that I would have ever made it to the other side without him. I take one more deep breath as we walk to the doors. Nate and Ollie stand there.

"When the music starts we'll go down, then you in a bit." Nate says. He looks more excited than I feel. Now I am scared. My heart starts going crazy. The familiar music starts. It's comforting to know they haven't changed all that much since I was last here.

_Wise men say only fools rush in_

Ollie and Nate start walking down the aisle. There are a lot of people at this wedding. More than were at Nate and Ollie's. Nineteen. Even Marty and Nyssa have made it. Pete's still in hospital though, which isn't surprising. I would be dead if something had happened to Greg.

_But I can't help falling in love with you._

Uncle Gil ends up pulling me down the aisle. Eventually I get into it. Everyone has turned and is now watching me. I smile at various different people, even Greg's mom, who I am pretty sure hates me. I see Archie, who is Greg's best man nudging Greg. I smirk underneath my veil and hold back my laugh. Greg turns around slightly and I wave slightly with my flowers. He laughs and Archie nudges him again. Uncle Gil finally gets me to the altar. He stops and very slowly takes my hand. He stares Greg dead in the eye. This is obviously his 'I will kill you if this goes wrong' face. Greg looks back at him solemnly. I smirk and roll my eyes. Once he's handed me over Uncle Gil goes and sits down next to Sara on the front row. I mouth 'hey' at Greg and as we turn to the priest, the same obese Elvis that was at Nate and Ollie's wedding, he squeezes my hand. Again, I zone out. You would think that by now, I would listen to a wedding ceremony, especially my own.

"Gregory Hojem Sanders, do you take Naomi Iris Grissom to be your lawfully wedded wife?" Elvis asks. I turn to look at Greg slightly and raise an eyebrow. He looks back, eyes full of love and hope for the future.

"I do." There's an audible sigh of relief from everyone.

"Naomi Iris Grissom. Do you take Gregory Hojem Sanders to be your lawfully wedded husband?" He asks. Do I? Am I ready to do this? If I say yes to this, there will be now way that I will ever be able to run again. I take a deep breath and feel the old Naomi leaving. I feel every memory leaving, every time I was stupid, every time I was alone, every time I missed home. I look straight at Greg and I hope that he can see how much I love him.

"I do."


End file.
